


I Move The Stars For No-One

by MsLanna



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Labyrinth!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-10-25 18:38:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10770087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsLanna/pseuds/MsLanna
Summary: Reyes Vidal has it bad for Sara Ryder. But how can a third rate smuggler ever hope to catch the eye of the human Pathfinder? Then plan is easy: be somebody, get her attention, grant her wishes.What Reyes did not take into account is that none of those qualities are on Sara’s checklist for a partner. Accordingly, things go very wrong, but also very right in an unexpected way.Labyrinth!AU. Will mesh the events of both stories but with only MEA characters.





	1. Lost And Lonely

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vorcha_Girl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vorcha_Girl/gifts).



It had been another long, long day. Sara Ryder trudged through the corridors of the Nexus. The day’s events weighed on her. Why did her father believe she was ready for this? The fate of a whole civilisation, no, more than one, rested on her decisions. Hers alone.

The door to the Cryo Bay opened with a hiss. It should feel whiter and cleaner than the rest of the Nexus. It did not. The whole ship ad a clinical feel to it. After visiting actual planets in Heleus, Sara disliked it. She would certainly settle dirtside somewhere as soon as their problems were over with. Never then. She sighed.

“How’s Scott?” She walked up to Dr. Carlyle.

“No changes,” he replied. “I am sorry.”

Yeah. Whatever. It didn’t change anything. Sometimes Sara wondered if Scott would ever wake up. If he did, she wouldn’t feel so lonely. He could help. But right now she couldn’t even interface with him through SAM. She sat down on the side of his bed heavily.

“So, wanna know what’s up?” It was probably pointless. Though she had heard that talking to people in a coma helped. She’d cling to any straw right now. “We are almost obliterated by the kett, but Sam saved us all. Mostly. The Tempest was bad shape when we arrived on Aya and-”

Usually telling Scott helped a little. Today it did not. Aya was a beautiful place. Not their place, though and it would never be. It was already settled. Winning the trust of the angaran was another step on the stairs ahead of her she had never asked for. Didn’t they have diplomats? But no. She got stuck with everything again.

She got stuck with that alien on her ship and was now being unfair to him because she was just totally frustrated at everything. Jaal was doing his best, he was a great addition to the team; he could make her laugh! Sara didn’t want to laugh. She kicked her heels had against Scott’s bed.

“Oh come on!” she grumbled. “Just wake up. How hard can it be? Don’t dump this shitstorm on me alone, help your sister out!”

Scott didn’t react. Of course he did not. He was in a bloody coma! How was that even fair? She was running her heels off, doing every little task imaginable as if other people were not perfectly capable of stuff like setting up beacons or checking on lost cargo. And Scott slept through it all. Leaving her alone to deal with exiles, kett, remnant, missing everything.

First myths were coming up about a king of the kett who stole naughty children and punished them even though there were no children yet. Tales about hidden planets of lush vegetation, sealed away by the kett out of envy. Ridiculous weak points in their armour, like Achilles’ heel, just palced more inappropriately.

Sara sighed. It was a whole new galaxy and she was all alone. It was not fair. She stared at the immobile face of her brother. “I hate you,” she whispered. “I hate you. I wish the King of the Kett would come to take you away. Maybe the threat of exaltation is enough to wake you.”

She stared at the unmoving form of Scott.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I-”

Sara couldn’t stand it any longer. She got up and left the Cryo Bay with long strides. Something needed to happen. She needed to punch something, hard, repeatedly. Insulting her brother was no solution, none at all. Maybe going to Kadara would help. The population was said to be aggressive and fights unavoidable. That sounded about right.

She didn’t slow down until she reached the Tempest. Time for preflight. Time to call the crew back. Time to kick some ass.

 

* * *

 

They were almost at Kadara, when the massage came through. Sara was worried when she saw Captain Dunn and Dr Carlyle together.

“What happened?” Don’t let it be Scott, she prayed. Don’t let him be dead! “What happened to Scott?”

“He is alive,” Dunn said, “as far as we know.”

Sara took a deep breath. “As far as you know?”

“He has been kidnapped, abducted,” Dr Carlyle explained. “We received a note that he will be fine, but-”

Yeah. Sure. “What do they want?”

“Surprisingly, nothing.” Dunn sounded confused. “We have not received any demands so far. It doesn’t meant there won’t be any.”

“Maybe they will contact you directly,” Dr. Carlyle suggested.

“Do we know who they are?” Sara wanted to know.

“Not really,” Dunn admitted. “The note was signed ‘King of the Kett’ but we dismissed that to be a myth.”

Sara rubbed her temples. She didn’t need more problems. She certainly didn’t need her brother to get abducted by a mythical entity. And for sure it should not happen just after she wished for just that. She had trouble swallowing but managed to keep a calm façade.

“Anything else you can tell me?”

“Nothing right now. We will forward complete reports to you as soon as they are ready. Please be careful.” Dunn tried to smile encouragingly.

“Keep me posted.” Sara cut the connection and stared at the emptiness over the vidcon table.

Scott.

Gone.

It’s not your fault, she told herself. It cannot be, the King of the Kett is a figure of myth. They are not organised in such a way. Or were they? She took a deep breath. It didn’t help. She had to do something. Anything.

She called a meeting.

“The angara have never heard of such a kett,” Jaal said. “It could be a new title.”

“Or a faction that draws heavily on kett tech,” Liam added. “That would explain all the traces of kett left on the Hyperion.”

“They will be sorry to mess with us,” Peebee declared. “We will find them and defeat them.”

“First we need to find them,” Jaal told her. “That might be difficult.”

“Maybe.” Sara drummed her fingers on the desk. Something about this was off. Not only the mythical nature of their adversary, but the timing was suspicious. “I guess. I’ll hear from that mysterious Kett King sooner or later. In the meantime, let’s keep our eyes and ears open.”

“You suggest we keep to our scheduled visit on Kadara?” Jaal asked.

“I have no better idea,” she admitted. “The moment I do, you can be sure we will change course.”

“We’ll kick them right in the balls,” Peebee assured her. “Just point the way.”

“Dismissed.” Sara returned to her quarters. It had felt huge from the start. Now it also felt very, very lonely. She sat down on her bed putting her head in her hands.

“Scott is still alive and possibly safe,” SAM said into her head. “I can track that much of him through the implant."

“No location?” Sara asked under her breath.

“Apologies, Pathfinder, the signal is heavily shielded. Whoever kidnapped Scott, probably knows about the connection and does not want him found.”

No kidding. Sara fell back, staring at the ceiling. Heleus was doing a great job at taking everything she cared for. Just for once, she’d appreciate gaining something to care for instead.


	2. In Search Of New Dreams

Kadara port sucked. There was no other way to describe it. The air smelled of rotten eggs. The water on the bloody rock was burning; literally. The only reason the Tempest didn’t get stolen the second they set down was that it was a little heavy. Also, Drack standing in the hatch with two shotguns.

The King of the Kett had sent a rather verbose note asking her to meet a contact. It was a start. Sara had tried to hide a few more knives on her body than possible. But if she was going to meet with anybody connected to Scott’s abduction, and anyway what kind of code name was Shena? Apart from angaran.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to hide her shotgun. Maybe a small firearm would go unnoticed under her jacket. She had to stride up and down her quarters a few times to make sure she wasn’t clanking. The chain had to stay behind, but the garrotte was easily disguised in a bracelet and the pendant under her shirt might just transform into a set of old-fashioned picklocks.

The crew had fanned out across Kadara port. They would notice anybody coming, going, and doing anything. Sara exhaled. Everything was prepared as well as they could on two hours’ notice. She reminded herself to not kill the messenger. They might be a better hostage. Just stay calm. No premature violence.

Kralla’s Song was only a little less smelly then the rest of the port. At least they had drinks. Sara wondered how many she could safely have before her meeting with the informant was doomed to failure. So four, five if she took it slow. Sara frowned at empty air.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone.”

Sara turned to look at the newcomer. He approached her with a half-swagger, signalling the barkeeper for drinks without waiting for an answer.

That would be one down on her to do list, Sara reckoned. Also one free drink was one free drink, a solid basis for several more drinks she would have to pay for. She shrugged minimally. “I’ve got time for a drink.”

She accepted the cup, refrained from sniffing its contents, and downed it in one go. The stranger did the same.

“Shena,” he then introduced himself. “But you can call me Reyes. I hate code names.”

They shook hands. “I was expecting somebody more – angaran,” Sara admitted.

“Because of the name?” He chuckled. “I also work with the Resistance. It pays to be an independent contractor on Kadara.”

“So you’re a smuggler.” It was only half a question.

Reyes did not deny it. He changed the topic though. “You are here to meet somebody, yes? Somebody who took-”

“Scott!” Sara grabbed Vidal by the shoulders and shook him. “Where is he?”

The universe seemed to pause as the smuggler took in the situation, a range of emotions flitting over his face, none lasting enough to leave an impression. “I can see this is important to you,” he glanced to her hands.

“Right.” Sara took a step backwards, carefully putting her hands at her sides. Was that a hint of disappointment on Vidal’s face? It was gone before she was halfway through the thought. “Sorry.”

“I am only here to give you the location and instructions for the meeting,” Vidal said.

“Why send you?” A kett would have been more appropriate. Maybe they were just bad messengers. They social skills had been severely lacking so far.

“Because I am known to get the job done.” Vidal smiled and opened his omnitool. “Here are the coordinates. You can bring your friends to the door, but you must enter alone.”

“Will you get me there?” There was an idea behind it, lost as soon as she had said it.

“Why?” He was taken aback.

“Because you get the job done,” Sara said frantically trying to remember the actual plan behind this. “I have quite a job to offer right now.”

“How will that look? Me working against my contractor?” Vidal objected.

“You just said you were independent.” Sara shook her head. “Never mind. We’ll do without another tag-along.”

A change went through Vidal and he raised his hands. “Let me make you an offer instead.” His smile was more hopeful than winning. It was annoyingly charming. “I will accompany you to the meeting, and, since it is a hideout I know well, I will sneak inside and watch from hiding. You will not be alone and I can inform your friends if it is time to storm the place. An offer of good faith, yes?”

“Why would I trust you.” Sara crossed her arms. The sudden change was suspicious, but she had just done the exact same thing.

“Because I get the job done, right? You should ask around Kadara if you don’t believe me.” He held his hands open between them.

There was no time to ask around on Kadara, Vidal had to know that. What he didn’t know, though… _SAM_ , Sara asked on their private channel. _What are his credentials?_

 _They are as Mr Vidal claims,_ came SAM’s silent reply. _Even under the worst_ _circumstances,_ _he_ _somehow_ _manages to hold up his end of the deal. It is almost miraculous._

 _Thanks SAM_. Sara looked at the man standing before her. The winning smile never left his face. There was something else in his eyes she couldn’t quite place. Hungry, resigned, almost hopeful.

“Alright.” She held out her hand. He took is quickly, squeezing it firmly. “But if you double-cross me, I will have your guts for garters.”

Sara was unsure if that prospect scared or appealed to Vidal. He looked torn even as he nodded.

“I will go ahead and make sure to be hidden by the time you arrive. Follow me in thirty minutes.” He turned to leave.

“How do I contact you if things go south?” Sara called after him.

Vidal turned back and looked at her for a moment. Then he winked and left.

Now that was helpful. Sara sighed. But if she played this one right, she would get to chop off the balls of her brother’s kidnapper and possibly win over one of his agents. That had been the idea. She smacked herself. With luck Vidal knew more than he pretended. If he could be convinced to cross the King of the Kett… An inside man was always very useful.

The minutes trickled by slowly. Sara briefed Drack and Peebee on the meeting. Both didn’t like it. Especially that she was willing to trust a complete stranger. It did not matter that his work record was excellent.

“One time is always the first for betrayal,” Drack said.

“There’s worse than being your garters,” Peebee added. “Like fighting me to the death-”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Sara glanced at her chrono again. “Oh, let’s just go and drive slow.”

The coordinates led the to a cave in the mountains north-east of Kadara port. The entrance was sealed with a pre-fab door. The cave behind was likely augmented similarly. It was a perfect trap.

“SAM?”

“There are two signatures of life inside,” he replied. “One seems to be Kett, the other is concealed in a small, well shielded compartment. Ordinary scans would be unable to pick it up. It appears to be a human male.”

“Vidal.” Sara nodded. So far so good. “Back door?”

“There appears to be none. But the mountain is lanced with tunnels. There may be many ways out there.” Sam fell silent. “The amount of tunnels makes it difficult to calculate where their exits are and which of them, if any will be used.”

“Alright.” Sara rolled her shoulders. “I’ll go in. You kill anything as comes running out that is not me or Scott.”

“What about that Vidal fellow?” Drack wanted to know.

“Collateral.” Sara shrugged. “Let him live if you know if its him. Otherwise better safe than sorry.”

“Got it.” Drack chuckled happily.

Bracing herself, Sara opened the door and stepped through. It closed behind her with a hiss, leaving her in a dimly lit cave. It was not huge, but sizeable enough, maybe three storeys high. A ledge ran alongside the back wall, rising to about two meters at its highest. The air smelled stale. As SAM had said, there was no visible exit. Sara guessed the tunnels were leading away from the ledge.

She looked around. This was not what she had expected. At least there were no expected armed forces with muzzles pointed at her. If only she knew what they wanted. And why they would make up such a ridiculous cover.

Suddenly the light brightened and a figure appeared in the middle of the ledge. Pompous was the first thing coming to Sara’s mind. He looked as if some designer of fancy evening wear had decided that kett were all the rage. The seam-lines of the shirt and pants followed kett armour, the flamboyant dress jacket matched perfectly, its collar reaching almost to the top of his head.

Everything was, admittedly, tailored to perfection, making the man wearing it look very shapely. Still, wearing a mask fashioned after a kett face that left only the mouth and parts of the cheeks uncovered did not help. Neither did the ridiculously styled mop of blond hair topping the whole appearance.

“You’re him,” Sara got out. “You’re the King of the Kett.”

Obviously pleased with his effect, he strode towards her with a slightly familiar swagger, and a smirk.

“I’ve come to take my brother back,” Sara declared. “You have no right to-”

“What’s said is said,” the King admonished as he came to a stop just inside her personal space.

“But I didn’t mean it,” she objected automatically. She had even apologised on the spot. Who did that clown think he was?

“Oh, you didn’t?” Sara identified his behaviour as that of one sure the other was smitten for whatever reasons. She was certainly closer to smiting at the moment.

“Where is he?” She demanded and leant forwards a little. She would show that prick how very little his display intimidated her.

“Why would I tell you where he is?” the King of the Kett asked. “He is mine now. You did not want him any more.”

“I will get my brother back!” Sara stuck out her chin in defiance. “There is nothing you can do about that.”

“Sara, Sara.” He shook his head slightly as he took her chin between his fingers. “Go back to your ship, be the Pathfinder the Initiative needs. Forget about your brother.”

“I won’t.” Sara didn’t back down. “Whatever you think-”

“I will give you a gift.” The King of the Kett took a step away from her, producing a grey sphere.

“What it is?”

“Nothing, just a piece of rem-tech.” He moved it from one hand to the other between them. “But in your hands, with the help of SAM – who knows what it can unlock? The mystery of the vault network itself?”

Sara found herself watching the sphere. Its movements were hypnotising.

“Do you want it?” He held it out towards her. “Then forget about your brother.”

It was the last line that broke the spell. Sara was ready to stuff the priceless piece of technology down his throat right into his appendix. How dare he? She stepped forwards, slapping at his hand so suddenly, that he almost dropped the tech. “Give me my brother back. Or you will regret it.”

The mask was unchanged, and only the slightest of flickers crossed his mouth before he shrugged nonchalantly. “As you wish, Sara.” He made a sweeping gesture and a hologram of Heleus appeared almost big enough to fill the whole cave.

“You know what this is, right?” His fingers followed a streak of the Scourge. “You want to get rid of it. We only want to control it. And there is a key to that. Two actually.” He smiled at her pointing his index finger to his temple. “So this is where I will take your brother, to the centre of the mystery, Meridian.”

A point in the map flared up for a split second. It was gone before Sara could pinpoint any location.

 _I have the coordinates marked_ , pathfinder, SAM said soothingly into her head.

“You are no match for me Sara,” the King of the Kett said as if he heard. “But I will gladly let you rise to the occasion.”

Sara looked from the projection to the man standing before her. She was certain he was human, dressed up as kett for whatever fancy reasons. Probably using more kett tech than was healthy. He had just given her invaluable information as well, whether he knew it or not. Meridian. She would beat him to it. For Scott. For everybody. For the chance to wipe that smug smile off his face.

“If you insist on playing games,” she hissed, “I will beat you.”

“This is not a game,” he said. The king stepped around her smoothly, pointing with his fingers from behind her. “And know that there are no short-cuts,” he went on, his hair tickling her skin. “I have safeguards in place. Kill me, and you also kill your brother.”

Though she could feel his breath on her cheek Sara stayed still. She felt that one move from her would turn the King of the Kett into an unfortunate rain of blood and tiny scraps of flesh and entrails. A bad idea if he was to be believed. She would need a way around that dead man’s switch. But a good elbow in the stomach hadn’t killed anybody yet, Sara decided.

Once again, the king of the Kett was unto her. He sidestepped the hit easily with a low chuckle. “You have thirteen days to find your brother, or he will become one of us forever and help us control the Scourge.”

Sara turned on her heels, ready to punch him at least once.

He laughed and the room exploded into light and a gentle rain of white powder.

“Turn back Sara,” his voice echoed through the white dust. “Turn back before it’s too late.”

Sara tried to find where he had gone but was in impossible. By the time the dust began to settle, she was coughing, shielding her face with her arm as well as she could. Somebody took her other arm. Unthinking she socked them in the face with the back of her hand, aiming for their knees with her foot.

“Told you,” Drack’s voice rumpled gleefully though the cave. He grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the door.

Sara identified the wheezing figure on the floor tentatively as Vidal. Well. Oops. She sat down on the stubbly grass clearing the dust from her lungs. _Could you follow him leave, SAM?_

_I am sorry Pathfinder. The dust contained reflecting particles. He may have left through any of the tunnels._

Right. That bastard was prepared, pompous but very well prepared. _But you have the coordinates for Meridian._

 _Correct_ , SAM replied. _Though there is no guarantee they actually lead to Meridian if it exists._

“Oh, it exists,” Sara murmured.

“What exists?” Peebee wanted to know.

“A central unit to control all the vaults,” Sara replied, leaving out the Scourge for now. “It’s only making sense.”

“Yes, right, but where is it?” Pee asked.

“I’m not sure. But SAM may have an answer.”

“What about Scott?” Drack asked.

“He’ll be there, too. That,” Sara inhaled deeply, “jackass of an idiot said he’s use Scott to activate Meridian for the kett. As if we will let him. He won’t have my brother. He won’t have Meridian.”

“He does have everything else, though,” somebody said beside her.

Sara turned and saw Vida standing next to her. White dust clung to his face and hair in ridiculous contrast to his dark skin and eyes. She laughed. Putting one hand over her mouth, she ran the other through his hair, triggering a crumbly avalanche. She couldn’t stop laughing.

“Oh, as if you looked any better,” Vidal told her. He did not remover her hand though.

None of them looked any better. Drack wore it best, looking like a statue depicting an ancient warrior. Peebee had already started to wipe the dust away as well as possible, leaving streaks all over her face and clothes.

“Right, everybody back to the Tempest,” Sara ordered getting her merriment under control. “Meeting after we had a shower. Let’s show that bastard what we are made off.”

Her eyes fell on Vidal who looked as if his head had combined her statements in an unwarranted way. “Thanks for sticking around. Let me know if you find anything else.” She raised her omnitool to transmit her data.

“Do you really plan to antagonise him?” Vidal asked. “It may be easier to strike a deal with him.”

“A deal?” Sara glared at Vida. “With that, pompous, overbearing, smug, self-satisfied peacock?” She took a deep breath. “I think not. There is nothing in Heleus I would give him. Except my fist to his face maybe. And you,” she pointed at him, “you are working for me now, understood? Keep in touch with that scrubby fob, run errands, whatever. But keep in mind that you are working for me. I get the intel.”

“Understood. We’re gonna be friends,” Vidal made a sudden pause, “Ryder. I will call you.”

“Do that.” She ran her arm over her eyes. She should feel better for the progress they had made. She did not. But they had their inside man. Sara watched Vidal as he walked away. That and they had a point of departure at least, if not a destination.


	3. Into the Labyrinth

The King of the Kett sat down, looking at the secured stasis pod. The lid was see-through, reminding him of Snow White’s glass coffin. Only there was a handsome prince lying in this one. One who could not be wakened with a kiss. Not that it wasn’t tempting.

Scott looked a lot like his sister. And they were twins. How different were their personalities? He would find out one day. There was no way he would not be around, when Scott woke. Admittedly, the campaign to win Sara’s affection had faced a few far flung wrenches already. She had definitely wished for Scott to be gone. So he had taken him. His hand wandered along the cold glass. But then she showed up and did what? Demand him back. That was not the gratefulness he had expected. That had not been the plan.

According to plan Sara arrived grateful and open to more gifts. But no. He had to whip up a somewhat reasonable way for her to get Scott back. Of course he could just have returned the comatose Ryder sibling. But that was not going to work. One thing the King of the Kett knew: you had to work for something to appreciate it.

So Sara would have to work to get her brother back. And on the way he would figure out how to wrap up meridian in a way that resembled a present. He sighed. It had all gone to pot from the start. The only upside was that he had gained access to her personally. That was more exciting than expected.

Being socked in the face not so much. He rubbed his nose gingerly. She was a formidable fighter, fierce, protective. The way she had strutted at him demanding her brother back. There was a reason he had chosen her of all women in Heleus. She would come around eventually. He would see to that, even if she resisted as yet.

It did not matter. He wanted her – no. That was no quite it. He wanted her to love him. He wanted that fierce protectiveness, the carefree laughter when she brushed the white dust from his hair. He wanted all of that and more. And he had a foot in that door. He could steer her. It was just a matter of time.

The King of the Kett smiled to himself. Anything worth having was worth fighting for. He had a plan. He had the resources. He had time. Two weeks were just the beginning.

 

* * *

 

“Ideas?” Sara had called the crew for a meeting. A holo of Heleus hovered over the round table. Alleged Meridian was highlighted in the thickest cluster of Scourge to be found. Sam couldn’t calculate a path penetrating that labyrinth a quarter. And Sara didn’t like going in blind.

“Why does he pretend to be kett?” Jaal asked ignoring the question hovering before them.

“I don’t know,” she replied. Though she did wish for the King of the Kett to take her brother. It was making sense in a twisted way. But it was just not sensible. “Maybe he’s found the perfect way to incorporate kett tech seamlessly into ours. That could give him an edge.”

“Pathfinder, our abilities to merge our technology with that of the kett is substantial,” SAM said. “I cannot calculate a higher benefit than that. He would need different technology.”

“Thanks SAM.” Sara sighed. “So. Kett pretender. Swathed in kett tech for no reason. And keeping my brother hostage. About there.” She stabbed into the holo.

“The Scourge is labyrinthine,” Liam said. “How do we even get through it?”

“SAM can calculate a path,” Sara declared.

“I am unable to complete the calculations,” SAM objected. “I cannot penetrate the whole of the Scourge from this distance..”

“So we fly in blind. So what?” Sara shrugged.

“You wanted a plan,” Jaal reminded her.”

“That is a plan. A part of it, at least.”

“Your definition of ‘a plan’ is worrisome,” Jaal replied. “We need-”

“We just fly in there and fight them all,” Peebee interrupted him impatiently. “No biggie. Then we grab Scott and return home.”

“There, we have our plan,” Sara agreed. “And didn’t we hear something about factions in the kett on Eos?”

“We didn’t follow up on that,” Liam told her.

“Well do! If that’s this King’s faction maybe the real kett will help.”

“In return for what?” Drack asked.

“In return for being allowed to live until I have my brother back,” Sara said. "Of course, we don’t tell them that.”

“I doubt it will work,” Drack said. “But nothing of what you do should and still half of it does.”

Put like that, it didn’t sound like a compliment. Sara shrugged it off. “I am open to suggestions. But we are running out of time here.”

“What about Reyes?” Liam asked. “He collects information for all sides. He might have something we can use.”

“Good idea.” Sara grinned. “Ask him, will you?”

“I think we have better chances if you ask him,” Drack said. “Better prices for sure.”

“You think?” She narrowed her eyes thinking. “If you say so. After all I am the boss around here. Always feels better to negotiate with the boss. I’ll call him.”

For a moment Liam looked as if he wanted to say something. Then he just shook his head.

“Okay, get ready to go then. No Scourge can stop me from getting my brother back. Sara nodded to herself. Silly kett-impersonators did not count as opposition. She dismissed the meeting and waited until they had all left the upper platform. “SAM, can you establish a vidcall to Reyes Vidal?”

“Of course, Pathfinder. Give me a moment.”

Sara didn’t want to give him a moment. She wanted to storm of and, and. Well. She would know what to do when she arrived.

“Mr Vidal is not available on vidcon,” SAM told her. “However you can leave him a message if you want to.”

“Yeah, sure.” Sara scratched her head. “So I have another thing you can help with. Oh and hi, it’s me, Sara,” she added not sure if the message would contain the visual as well. “So besides getting the Kett King’s plans and telling me, have you heard anything about the other kett think about him? Maybe they can help?”

She felt dumb recording this. Talking to people was so much easier. “Anyway, we’re taking off now so if you don’t hear back or can’t contact us, we’re probably having terrible problems and such. I’ll let you know when we return. With my brother. That’s the plan.”

Sara cut the recording and wondered why she said she’d get back to him even though she believed that she had her brother back then. There was no reason to contact the smuggler again. Oh well. Another bridge for another day.

She returned to the bridge. The galaxy map was of little help. Going to Civki was only the start. Sara watched as the universe hurtled by. When they arrived, Kallo steered them towards the entangled mass that was the Scourge. It didn't look inviting.

“Scan in progress,” SAM reported. “I have found a promising route.”

“Let SAM take over,” Sara ordered. “Take a day off or something.”

Kallo was visibly unhappy. But flying through the Scourge required faster reflexes than any of them had.

“I will put all my capacity into finding a way in, Pathfinder.” SAM sounded strangely distant.

“Understood. We’ll try not to need you anywhere else.” What to do next. Sara stared at the deadly phenomenon. Going out in suits and kicking it into compliance sounded good. Staring at it did not. It doesn’t look that hard. It writhed like branches twisted around each other. But to her it looked as if there was plenty of space between the arms to move.

Waiting was horrible. Sara paced in her room. She read and re-read the message the King of the Kett had sent her thought Reyes. It yielded no new information. What did he want? Or was he a kind of Heleus fairy? You wished for something invoking his name and he just had to? It was worth a try.

“I wish the King of the Kett would bring me a strong double espresso.”

Sara looked around. No espresso appeared magically. Too bad. That would have been convenient. She sat down at her desk again staring at the SAM interface. It looked sluggish and dull.

“I have detected a likely entry point,” SAM finally announced. “ETA at Meridian is six hours and thirty-four minutes. Please refrain from diverting calculating power for anything but emergencies during this period.”

“Got it,” Sara replied. “And thanks, SAM.”

She watched as the Tempest slowly approached the Scourge. Soon it filled her whole window. The winding branches lit up with blue currents. This close it looked awe-inspiring and terrifying. It reminded her of brambles, grasping, retaining, drawing you in.

They seemed to writhe around them, leaving no space to manoeuvre or even move. It had to be an optical illusion. Still, Sara didn’t like feeling stuck. She glanced at the chrono. Six hours to go. At least. She went to bed.

It didn’t help. Of course they arrived sooner. She felt bedraggled and the coffee machine was on the Hyperion. Now that was something to fix since obviously calling on the King of the Kett didn’t work that way.

“That is Meridian?” She asked through a yawn. A huge metal structure hung before them. It was about the size of a city, if you built a city in 3D and not flat like humans usually did. Sara squinted at it.

“There is a sizeable kett presence,” SAM informed them. “The Remnant are also active. I advise caution.”

“What about the King of the Kett?” Sara wanted to know. “Or my brother?”

“Unknown.” SAM replied. “The inside of the structure is heavily shielded. If Scott is inside he is unconscious.”

Right. One unconscious brother. Extraction coming up. “Drack, Peebee, Jaal, get ready. Kallo, keep her ready to extract us and leave.”

Sara chose a shotgun with heavy mêlée application. This was personal. She wanted to see the enemy hurt before she killed them, preferably with her bare hands, but a krogan hammer would do. A sub-machine-gun to whittle down shields completed the ensemble.

They dropped into a courtyard. A deep chasm separated them from their intended entrance. Against all probability it was raining. On SAM’s suggestion, she interfaced with a nearby console. The edge of the chasm shook. When Sara approached it to check what had happened, a bridge started to extend. She followed it tentatively.

“It’s changing.” Sara peered over the edge of the bridge into the abyss. There was no visible bottom.

“Yes, but does it only when you interface?” Jaal asked.

It was a good question. Sara went to open the door. If the King of the Kett was here, would he be able to affect the structure? Would any Remnant that might as well be there? So many questions. Sara swapped the scanner for her shotgun.

It kept raining when they entered.

“Figures,” Sara murmured. “Anything on Scott?”

“Nothing, Pathfinder. I am beginning to doubt that he is here.”

Great. “Lets look anyway.” She headed off in a likely direction.

“Pathfinder,” SAM suddenly spoke up, “I detect a network connected to a central command hub.”

“A hub?” Sara asked. “You mean we found Meridian’s controls?”

“Most likely,” SAM confirmed. “However the hub is dark. You will have to access the two main towers to restore power.”

Well, that she could do. “Anything on Scott yet?” Sara was unwilling to let that go. The King of the Kett had said he’d take her brother here. And if she had to decide between activating Meridian and saving Scott – Sara pushed that thought away determined. This would not happen.

They set of, carefully removing kett and Remnant on their way. The two sides seemed to be fighting. A third party had also joined, looking like a weird meld of both. Sara tried to scan one of the remkett that attacked them and subsequently died. It dissolved into crumbs and grime.

Now that was less than helpful. She turned around to see one of the bridges retract behind them. Approaching it, did not extend it again. Great. So somebody was accessing the structure and changing it. “SAM, can you locate the source of the alterations?”

“There are several entry points of the command throughout Meridian,” SAM replied. “They appear simultaneously and cannot be tracked further back.”

Somebody was taking a lot of precautions to rig this place without being found. Sara had a suspicion who it was. But he would not be beaten. Two could play that game. She interfaced with the console again, willing it to obey her command. In the end it did.

“I’m getting better at this.” She grinned at her companions over her shoulder as she stepped onto the moving tiles. She could hear Jaal gasp and Drack shout as the ground gave way under her. It was a precise manoeuvre, involving only three tiles.

For a second she fell into darkness, picking up speed. Then her fall was slowed. A gravity well began to slow her down like a sea of hands cushioning her descent. Sara relaxed. Whatever happened, it was unlikely that she would die. As yet.

There was a small room at the bottom. Like all other gravity wells, it had a shiny activation console in the middle. Unlike all others she had seen so far, it had no exit. Sara scanned the walls for a door but there was none. She turned back to the gravity well. It’s light was slowly fading. She lunged, but only saw the last of the blue glow blip out.

Her omni-tool still had its basic functions, but there was only static on SAM’s channel, on any channel. It was even a little worse than silence. Sara tried shouting. Her voice echoed back from the hight walls, the volume fading only slowly. So she sat down, thinking. Was there anybody who could use the interfaces but her?

She needed a plan. And she needed it fast. Her brother was out there. He could probably use the Remnant technology, but he was in a coma and also kidnapped. What else? Well, there was SAM’s portable node in her room on the Tempest. It would take a while to get it down here and activate anything. 

Sara pointed her scanner at the console for the gravity well once more. It was dead. No power lines showed up at all. Taking a deep breath she settled down. Waiting and thinking, there was little else to do. She turned off her omni-tool to preserve its power.

Darkness fell. With it came silence.


	4. Down In The Underground

Sara had no idea how long she had been sitting and mulling over her situation when she heard the sound. It was a small, scarping thing that repeated in irregular intervals. It was also coming closer. Her right curled around the hilt of her shotgun.

“Hello?” Hope died last. “Anybody there?”

Instead of an answer the noise stopped. Silence fell again for a long time before it reappeared, coming from the other direction now. Listening intently, Sara waited, trying not to break her weapon. The scraping stopped once again. Something hit against a bulkhead and was followed by a heartfelt curse. Sara sat up. She knew that voice; she was pretty sure she did.

Before she could call out again, a dim light appeared around a panel in the ground. It slid aside to reveal Reyes Vidal, still rubbing his head. “That hurt.” He looked up. “Hello, Sara.”

“Reyes!” She was ready to hug him, but since only his head and shoulders were sticking out of the ground, Sara refrained. “What are you doing here?”

“Saving you, looks like, yes?” His grin threatened to split his face in two.

“But how-?”

“I am an agent of the King of the Kett, remember?” He winked and began to wriggle out of what looked to be a maintenance shaft. “So I was here on orders, but I monitor all radio. So I knew you were in some,” he looked around, “predicament.”

“And you know how to get out of it, yes?” Sara asked hopeful.

“I might.” Pulling up his legs, Reyes closed the hole in the ground again. The room was lit barely by his omni tool. “But you need to promise me something.”

Sara crossed her arms in defence, jutting her chin out. “What?”

“Don’t antagonize him. The King of the Kett is not to be trifled with. He will,” Reyes stopped short and looked down. “Please, Sara.”

“Reyes,” she almost hissed. Then Sara calmed down a little. “He kidnapped my brother, plays silly games and endangers everything we hope to achieve in Heleus. And you ask me to play nice?”

“He is too powerful,” Reyes insisted. “Have you seen the kett-Remnant hybrids? His doing. I don’t want to think what else he can do.”

“What does he want?” Sara asked as she holstered her shotgun. Then she held out her hands to Reyes. It took him a second before he pulled her to her feet.

“Have you asked him?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Well, that is not good,” Reyes typed something into his omni tool. “I have a short cut to the surface-”

“No!” Sara interrupted him putting one hand on his arm. She let go when he winced. But she repeated herself. “No. I have come this far. I can’t just go back. And Drack, Jaal, and Peebee are still in here somewhere. We have to find them.”

Reyes looked undecided.

“Reyes, please.” She moved to stand before him. “They are my friends and my brother-” she couldn’t continue.

Scott in the hands of that monster. It was unthinkable. It had to stop. He was the only family she had left and Sara just couldn’t lose him. Slowly she looked down, taking long breaths. If going back was the only way, who was she not to go? She could always retrace her steps into Meridian. Once back up she could comm her companions. It was just one temporary drawback.

When she managed to look up again, Reyes was looking back at her, seeming lost. “How can I explain this to the King of the Kett?”

“If he finds out.”

“When he finds out.”

Sara closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was putting Reyes in a dangerous position here. He was risking a lot already just by being here. It was hard to see with the abduction of her brother looming tall. But Reyes was trying to help. He was doing his best. It wasn’t his fault that it wasn’t enough. It just was not.

“I’m sorry.” She took a step back and surveyed the room. “You are here to help. Thank you.”

Reyes watched her warily. Then he turned his attention back to his omni tool. “The King of the Kett scares me. If he finds out what I am doing...”

“I forced you,” Sara said brightly.

“How is that believable?”

Sara raised her shotgun in his direction. “Any good?” She grinned as she undid the safety. “Alright, not gonna fly. Oh, I know. I bribed you! What do you want?”

An uncomfortable silence fell in which Reyes tried not to look at her while scrutinising her closely.

Sara put away the shotgun once more. This was more complicated than expected. “Come on, everybody always wants something from me, Reyes. It’s okay.”

He still did not reply and just looked at her as if she had asked after quantum mechanics. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “I can’t think of anything.”

“Nothing at all?” Sara paced which was difficult in the darkness. Reyes’ omni tool was reallynot doing much to lighten it. “Friends or family in cryo I can up the waiting list? A nice little prefab home by a burning lake in Kadara? Amnesty and a return to the Initiative? Help me out here.”

“None of that would work,” he replied. “He knows me too well to believe any of it.”

“Great.” Sara stopped before him, thinking hard. “That leaves what? Me? Me. Would that work, yes? Everybody wants a piece of me.”

“That is true,” Reyes admitted warily. “It might-

“Good enough,” she interrupted him. “One for the record.”

Sara had anticipated a certain degree of rejection. She waited in vain. After a second of surprise, Reyes leant into the kiss, his hands taking hold of her face and waist. It felt as if he had been waiting, jumping into action the moment their lips touched. Sara yielded in his grip and her lips opened against his.

His lips were a soft contrast to the damning kiss and he tasted of warm wood on summer days, heat reflected from stones, and hunger. Sara wound her arms around him. This was going unexpectedly strong. Not that she complained. His breath raked into her skin, leaving tiny trails of fire down her throat.

Sara moaned into his mouth, her body pressing tightly against his as he chewed down on the sound. They parted slightly for air, but were drawn right back into each other by darkened eyes and greedy hands.

Finally Reyes dragged his mouth away, his lips leaving a soft trail along her jaw. “That should do it.”

Sara tried to focus but her lids flutters to the pitter-patter of her heart. She held on to him tighter than absolutely necessary, reluctant to let go. “Maybe another kiss?” She suggested. “Just to be sure?”

Reyes just shook his head and returned his attention to his omni tool. That was a blessing. Sara was not sue she could have kept it to just another kiss. Maybe it was the abating adrenaline, her high-strung senses calming down and looking for any outlet of their tension. Maybe it was being alone in the dark with somebody willing to risk their safety for yours, who was on top of that an expert kisser. Shena indeed.

Echoes of touches that not happened rippled through her body. Sara looked at the smuggler who was deeply immersed in whatever he did on his omni tool. As if she wasn’t even there. As if – but this had been her idea.

And it made sense. While she had just thrown herself at him, abandoning reason in the kiss, he hadn’t been invested, just working on his technique for what it was worth. Sara sighed. She wouldn’t mind serving as subject for a few more test runs of that.

Before her thoughts could get distracted even further, the floor began to move. It slid towards the walls opening from the centre, revealing a moving liquid underneath.

“Reyes?” Sara had no inclination to step into this toxic omni-gel derivative again. It was very painful and probably deadly.

The smuggler kept typing into his omni tool, fingers dancing a little more frantic than before. Only when the floor stopped moving and finally reversed its course, did he slow down again. He kept his eyes glued to his omni tool until the floor was back where it belonged and settled with a slight shudder.

“Well, can’t be right all the time.” Reyes shrugged in apology. Then he returned his attention back to the omni tool. To Sara’s disappointment it did not reactivate the gravity well. Instead a wall opened on the far side of the room leading into a dimly lit corridor.

“So,” she hesitated after the first step. “This leads back to my friends?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go back to safety,” Reyes offered again. “To your friends on the Tempest?”

“No.” Sara shook her head vehemently. “I can’t turn back.

Reyes looked as if he was about to say something. In the end he didn’t.

“I have to find my brother.”

“If the King of the Kett finds out I was helping you,” he didn’t continue.

“Just take me as far as you can,” Sara pleaded. “I can do the rest on my own.”

“Alright,” Reyes came to a decision. “I’ll take you s far as I can, then you’re on your own. Right?”

“Right,” Sara agreed. It was dangerous but she realised that keeping her inside man might be worth more in the long run. “I don’t want to put you in danger.”

Reyes looked at her for another second before moving out. He led her through a multitude of corridors and maintenance shafts. Sara was dizzy with the amount of turns the took. In the end she just followed Reyes confident progress. Still she let out a sigh of relief when her omni tool crackled back into life.

“Pathfinder.” SAM’s voice was pure comfort.

“SAM!” She exclaimed. “How are you? How are the others? Where are they? Where am I?”

“Mostly unknown.”

“SAM!”

“That was a joke.” He sounded unduly pleased for an AI. “You are several levels below the others. I am calculating a route and sending it to your omni tool.”

“Thank you SAM.” Sara grinned at Reyes. “I’m back in business.”

“Great.” He didn’t sound as if he meant it.

“Ryder!” Peebee called over the comm. “Are you alright? Anything in need of a good smack-down?”

Since hormones didn’t count, Sara declined her offer.

“We ran into some more remkett,” Jaal added. “Drack is having too much-”

The rest of the sentence was drowned by an explosion followed by Drack’s booming laughter. “You’re missing out on all the fun,” the krogan said.

“Not much longer.” Sara sped up when she saw the familiar glow of a gravity well not far ahead.

“Ready to rumble?” She looked over her shoulder only to find that Reyes had vanished. Well. _Well_. The gravity well took her up again and when it closed under her, she could see her friends on the far way of a long many levelled corridor.


	5. Not Always Swell

By the time Sara reached her friends she was running and not even ashamed. “Jaal! Peebee!” She threw her arms around them. “I am so glad to see you.”

“What was that abut,” Drack interrupted the reunion. “I thought that shit was safe.”

“Well.” Obviously it was safe only if nobody else tampered with it. And also obviously, the King of the kett could And hand. Sara grimaced. “The kett couldn’t interfere as yet and the remnant didn’t.”

“Excuses.”

“I have located the interference with your commands and can prevent future changes,” SAM announced, saving her ass.

“See? All is well.” She grinned and looked frantically for a safe subject to change to. “Anyway, Vidal, my inside man, got me out again. Though he hinted that Scott isn’t even here.”

“That mean piece of lying kett shit,” Peebee said. “What will we do now?”

“It is still the control centre for the Vaults, is it not?” Jaal asked. “We can’t just abandon it.”

“Jaal is right,” Sara agreed. “Even if Scott is not here, we can’t waste this opportunity. Just imagine-” she made a sweeping gesture, “activation all vault. Making all of Heleus habitable. What a feat!”

“So let’s move on,” Drack suggested. “Kill everything that’s not Scott and get this thing running.”

“I agree,” Jaal added.

“Let’s go!” Peebee joined in.

“Right. We were about to activate this baby.” Sara checked her omni tool. “The closer tower is in that direction. SAM, get me a route.”

“Of course, Pathfinder.”

They set off at a trot, reaching the first station to power up the tower a few skirmishes later. The remkett were not much better than any other faction at fighting. They also had cannibalised some of the remnant in the facility. When Sara booted up an armada of science vessels by accident with the tower, half the waking Remnant guards coming to life, fell apart after a few steps.

They took out the rest quickly before moving on. Naturally, they had to get through half the bloody city to reach the other tower. It was also better guarded. At least Sam was keeping the King of the Kett from interfering. Still Sara’s heart skipped a beat each time they crossed another self-building bridge. It was only partly due to the fear of falling again. The other part came from remembering what had followed.

When the light came up, any thought about that fled. Rows upon rows of pods with angara lined the walls. Sara felt watched. It was too creepy. “SAM? Ideas?”

“I am translating,” the AI replied.

At least the power was back on. Sara looked around for anything else they could use. But embalmed angara were nowhere on her list.

“Those are not angara,” SAM finally said. “They are prototypes. Genetic templates.”

“You mean, like blue prints?” Sara asked.

“Confirmed.”

Sara looked over to Jaal who was visibly unhappy with the whole idea. She agreed to get the Moshae on this as soon as possible. What did it mean for you to know that your whole species had been engineered? Like the Remnant. A bit like the kett. Certainly like the remkett the King of the Kett was producing now.

She took a deep breath. They would have to thing a lot about this alter. First they had to activate Meridian and get her brother back. If he was here. Which she doubted by now. Reyes had been right.

“Okay, let’s turn Meridian on and hope it doesn’t have a scrubber proportionally as big the Vaults do.”

They sat off again. Sara was glad to see Drack bringing up the rear. They might just have lost Jaal otherwise. By turning on the power in Meridian, Remnant had activated all over the station. They were fighting with the kett and remkett present. If she hadn’t been in such a hurry to get over with this and actually find her brother, Sara would just have waited for the faction to whittle each other down and then picked off the survivors.

Instead she just barraged in as usual, rolling over everything in her way. Drack made a perfect foil and partner in this. And so they took down a fiend and several Nullifiers on their way to the main console. Why did the creators of this place thing is such a good idea to have these vital bits so far apart?

When they finally reach the main controls, Sara interfaced with bated breath. The console lit up, projecting a glowing copy of itself. But nothing happened.

“SAM?”

“Translating,” SAM replied immediately. _Connection lost. Meridian Engine not found._ ”

Now that didn’t sound like good news. It didn’t get better when SAM said everything was fine, they were just short of a vital piece. A piece the creators of the station had sent far away to protect it, probably from the kett.

The engine looked like a big sphere from which the station they stood on had been detached. Well, so much for this being Meridian. Another piece of information being totally wrong. This was definitely not her day, Sara decided. Before she could change her mind, the universe confirmed her assessment by sending another force of kett.

Sara interfaced with the command station again. It worked. The warship was easily taken down by the station’s defences. Unfortunately, that left the team of remkett sent out especially for them untouched.

“The king wants that one,” the leading remkett in red said, pointing at Sara. “Destroy the rest.”

Now that was not every likely. She looked at her companions who had already readied themselves for battle. One one side would walk out of this fight alive. Sara was determined to make it hers.

The remkett had the same idea though. Technologically augmented Wraiths and Fiends were harder to beat than the originals. Sara clenched her teeth as she watched her shields fail. The red remkett was especially obnoxious, using a tactical cloak and doppelgänger. Crouching behind some crates, she waited for her shield to recharge, putting incendiary ammo into her shotgun. She would see them all burn for this.

And burn they did. Tech or no, everything was flammable if you go to the right temperature. The rain turned the ashes into grey slime before washing them away. It also cooled her anger somewhat. Small rivulets ran down her temple, dripping uncomfortably warm into her collar.

She looked t the control panel while SAM tried to scavenge enough data to create a trail. Meridian was out there somewhere. They just had to find it. And in the meantime, she still had unfinished business with that King of the Kett.

“Any sign of Reyes?” She asked.

“Nope. He probably left with the King of the Kett,” Peebee said. “Don’t trust him too much, right?”

“Yeah,” Drack added. “He looks like somebody who’d play both sides.”

Sara had no proof for the opposite so she stayed quiet. On the way back to the Tempest she tried to find out why she believed Reyes to be a better man. She came up dry.

There was no sign of her brother, no sign of Meridian and nothing important to do that required a visit to Kadara. Sara just hoped Suvi and SAM would find something on her brother or Meridian soon. Though her priorities in this were clearly not politically correct.

Sitting on her bed and waiting for any call to action Sara put her head in her hands. “I didn’t mean it,” she murmured not even trying to define if she meant Scott, Reyes or the King of the Kett.

 

* * *

 

The King of the Kett stood in his central chamber, looking at the cryo pod of Scott Ryder without seeing anything. He had a problem. Not that Khi Tasira had not actually been Meridian. Sara was a quick thinker and would solve this in not time. All he had to do was watch and make sure he found a way to wrap a bow around Meridian when it turned up.

Oh no. his problem was of a very different nature. Unexpected. It burned him inside out. Not only that, it still burned on his lips where hers had lingered too long, burned on every inch of his skin her fingertips had caressed, every fiery line her hands had painted. It rang in his ears that would not let go of her moan escaping from her mouth into his as she pressed against him, imprinting the curve of her body on his forever.

It had taken more than self control to let go of her. He remembered staring at his omni tool in deep concentration, punching random buttons without seeing anything just to keep his fingers from undoing the clasps of her armour instead. He could still smell the scent of her hair when he closed his eyes.

As usual, thinking about this split him. One part wanted to take a very long stroll on Voeld wearing absolutely nothing to cool down. If that was even possible. The other part wanted to morph into Reyes Vidal permanently, returning to smooch the living daylight out of those yielding lips.

As usual, he ended up doing neither. Voeld was far away and there were easier ways to die of exposure. And Vidal had no business kissing that woman ever again. Point the first she had promised to play kinda nice with him now. Point the second, it had been a decoy.

The irony that the only thing he actually wanted was the one thing she came up with as a fake deal. He touched his lips with his fingers again. He would have to be more careful. And he needed to set up a meeting that did not get completely derailed by her kissing him. And consequently losing all stamina to go through with the elaborate set-up. There had been a bow ready for Khi Tasira. Now he had to find a way to wrap it around Meridian.

Sara Ryder was definitely more work than he had anticipated. For second he wondered if it was worth all the extra trouble. But his fingers wandered over his lips once more, leaving no room for decisions. And he already had another idea. Nodding to himself the King of the Kett turned his back on Scott Ryder. If all else failed, a party had always done the trick.


	6. Such a Fooled Heart

“A party?” Sara stared at the translucent shape of Reyes. Vidcon made him look strange, eyes like black holes, hair receding to the top of his head. And his voice was muffled and laden with static.

“They are customary,” he replied. “The leaders of Kadara have always given them to appease and impress.”

“And the King of the Kett rules Kadara,” Sara mused.

“Well, in a way,” Reyes hedged.

“Through his agents, you mean. Agents like you.” It sounded more like an accusation than she had intended.

“Yes,” Reyes admitted. “But the important thing is that he will be there.”

“So how do I get my invitation.”

“You don’t.” Reyes held up a hand when Sara waned to protest. “The guest list is carefully crafted. But you can coma as my plus one if you like.”

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“No,” he sighed frustrated. “I am offering you a chance to talk to the King of the Kett.”

“And I will ask him some questions.” She nodded.

“There are many ways to make a man talk.” There was unmistakable innuendo in that sentence.

“Indeed.” The grin on Sara’s face suggested that she was considering less friendly approaches. “I will try a few of them.”

“Remember what you promised,” Reyes pleaded.

“Maybe.” Sara still grinned. “So when and where. And I have nothing to wear.”

“I’ll send you something,” Reyes promised.

And so he did. But after one look at the dress, Sara decided she’d rather go naked. Something she easily avoided by choosing a casual outfit from her own closet. Admittedly, she could have smuggled her shotgun and a few spares into Kadara Port under the skirts of the abomination. But it was not worth it.

Just to show she had seen the outfit, Sara took the flowery frills and twinned them around her pony tail. Ribbons and flowers dangled against her scarf. She had to readjust it several times on her way through Kadara, binding it tighter into her hair each time. Flower heads marked her path like a trail of bread crumbs. At lest they had been made from cloth.

SAM informed her that the party had already started when she arrived. As a plus one, Sara doubted the bouncer would let her in on her own. She was correct. Fortunately, Reyes showed up on cue, as if he had been waiting in the woodwork.

“She’s with me, Reyes Vidal,” he told the bouncer who dutifully checked his list and let them pass.

“You are not wearing-”

“-the white loofa, yes,” Sara cut him off as he led her inside. “Seriously, what’s up with that?”

“I thought it would be wise to dress in a way that appealed to the King of the Kett,” Reyes explained.

“He likes women that can keel over, got it.” Sara frowned. “He sure has a mighty Shining-Knight-In-Armour-Complex going on. A woman can’t do anything in a dress like that.”

“A woman could dance,” Reyes corrected her. He sounded frustrated again.

“I can’t dance, Reyes,” Sara sighed. “You can ask anybody. Also, I have my own armour. Doesn’t shine but sure is sturdy.”

“Well, yes.” Reyes shook his head. “Try not make a spectacle of yourself, not more than necessary.” His hand reached out, almost touching the ribbons in her hair before he snatched it back. “I’ll leave you to it.”

“Abandoning me already?” Sara asked.

“You have what you wanted, have you not?” He asked back. “You don’t need me.”

Well, that was true, but also not the point. Before Sara could object, Reyes had vanished though, leaving her alone in the crowd. So much for company. Not that she was sure what she had wanted to to with it. And that was the difference. She sure didn’t need Reyes company – wanting it though, now that was a whole different story.

Sara began to plough her way through the guests. Some were dancing already, most were clustered in groups, talking in low voices and stopping when she drew close. The King of the Kett was nowhere to be seen. Instead Sara located the bar. It was tended by Umi. Sara wondered if that meant that Kralla’s Song was closed for the night.

“Whisky, neat,” she said without hesitating. When Umi gave her the drink, Sara downed it. It helped. Not much but a little. “Another.”

Umi complied and watched her gulp it down. “You look like you need something stronger,” the bartender commented. “I’ve got a new drink. Angaran wine mixed with Ryncol. You in?”

Sara looked around. No King of the Kett and no Reyes anywhere in sight. None of the faces in the room were familiar. What did she have to lose? And she really needed to loosen up. Sara was tense to the snapping point. How would she survive until the King of the Kett deigned to make his appearance? Alcohol, that was the solution.

“Hit me with your best shot,” she told Umi. The asari shrugged and began to mix the ingredients. Something else definitely went in there, it was syrupy and smelled sweet, sticky. Sara wondered if she could get a straw with that and a paper umbrella, two paper umbrellas. But Umi served the mixture in a plain glass.

It still smelled sweet, but didn’t taste it. It didn’t taste of anything much. Sara had trouble swallowing. It felt as if the drink had evaporated in her mouth, moving straight into her brain where it made her thoughts bubble and her skin prickle. Everything seemed to dance around her to revolve with her at its centre. The music dulled, humming in her bones and head like the purr of a cat.

Sara looked around. It felt as if everybody was watching her. She didn’t know why. She looked down her body, but she was fully dressed. So she ran a hand over the leather of the jacket and hooked her thumbs into the belt. There had been something she had been meaning to do. It was difficult to remember, maybe she’d remember when she saw it again? But moving was sleepwalking. The room glided by. Faces blurred around her.

One face stood out though. Sara would have recognised it anywhere by the urge to punch it. The elaborate mask was of a dark blue contrasted with grey, but the lips grinning in the open were just as she remembered. As were the eyes, still green, though they lit up with the reflections of their surrounding blue and grey.

The King of the Kett had dressed for the occasion, an extravagantly tailored suit of blue. Organic lines outlined his shoulders, though Sara was quite sure that no kett had ever been that sparkly. There were even blue strands in his hair. Obviously fake hair because kett didn’t have any. A dancing couple passed between them and when Sara looked again the King of the Kett was gone.

Tactical cloak? On a party? She wasn’t making sense. But neither were her surroundings. Everything was wafting, distorting sideways. The air tasted of sour metal so heavily that Sara could lick its marengo patina off her lips. She had come to find somebody, Sara was certain of that. And somebody kept eluding her. Had to be one and the same.

From the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of dark blue again, blue as the burning water of Kadara. It was crowned with a smirk. She turned but it was gone. Laughter rang in her ears. She was shoved in the back by a couple dancing by. Sara turned again. The glimpse of blue jumped at her from another direction.

Turning made Sara’s head swim. But she was sure she was getting a lock on the King of the Kett. He smiled at her; a threat and an invitation. She took a step in his direction and he vanished in the crown once more.

But she had come to find him had she not? A voice was babbling in her head. She couldn’t make out its words. When her hands reached for it, strands of hair wound around her fingers. Didn’t she wear it in a ponytail? But now her hair felt like a thousand snakes done up with moonlight and crystals.

The music was overpowering, building its own cacophony with the words in her head. Laughter added to the confusion and the world tilted sideways. Then the King of the Kett approached her. King of the Kett. Sara wondered why. He didn’t look like one close up.

He didn’t feel like one either. Though Sara couldn’t say how she knew. He felt very human, familiar in the way his eyes rested on her. The smirk morphed into something more genuine as he put one arm around her waist.

“Sara.” Even his voice felt familiar drowning out the persistent voice inside her head.

She had no name to return. After a moment, Sara shut her mouth. The ground was an ocean tossing her about and holding on to the safe harbour only made sense.

“You looked like you were waiting for someone.” He wore gloves, soft like suede, blue to match his jacket. The King of the Kett was probably wearing something akin to blue suede shoes as well. Sara chuckled to herself, curling her fingers around his.

“I have time for a dance.” She smiled. After all, she had found somebody who had been eluding her. Mission accomplished. Something was still off, but the feeling receded when they stared to move to the music. The floor fell into step under their feet, the grating laughter stopped and only the ongoing music was proof that time hadn’t as well. The world fell away in his arms as they began to turn slowly.

“This could be your life forever,” he murmured into her ear. “Think about it, Sara.”

Sara looked around. The world was cushioned through an invisible cocoon, hard edged turning soft under a glance.

“You deserve to be treated like a queen,” the King of the Kett continued. “Be my queen and I will give you everything.”

He dipped her though a fast turn, making her head swim. Sara tried to focus. It was harder than anything. His lips smiled at her now more distant, now almost upon her, whispering words and promises as they turned and turned. It was nice, reinforcing the soft daze with each step. Sara smiled.

“What did you give?” Sara got out around the buzzing in her head.

He smiled and pulled her a little closer, putting his lips to he ears as if imparting a secret. “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for you. You wanted your brother gone, I took him. You wanted him back, I created a way for you to achieve it. I knew you could get the location of Khi Tasira from my short holo.”

Sara’s head swam. It made a weird kind of sense. “Why?”

“Because you deserve to have all your wishes fulfilled,” he murmured softly. “Everything you ever wanted, I will give it to you, even a way to achieve it yourself.”

Something inside Sara snapped to attention. She did not need condescending ways to prove herself. She didn’t need anybody to grant her anything. She pushed away in his hold a little, staring into his eyes. Blue reflections danced in the brown depths. “But Scott-”

“He is safe on my ship,” the King of the Kett interrupted her gently, turning a little faster. “You can come by any time and collect him. He is safe. So will you, Sara. Just come with me; stay with me.”

Something was still wrong. Sara tried to pin it down. But the inaudible noise in her head was raging, sending spikes of fear through her body. It pushed her away from the firm hold, the soft swaying motions, prying her loose with a crowbar.

But he didn’t give. “Think about it, Sara,” the King of the Kett pressed. “The rest of your life, one big party. Adventures whenever you want them. No pressure. No pain.”

Sara did think about it and all her alarm bells went off. She couldn’t think over the primal urge to get away from him. Something that did not make much sense considering his promises and caring touch. He did have Scott and Meridian. How bad could it be, selling herself in return?

Her head caved in, pummelling her thoughts into bits. “I cannot,” she replied. When she tugged at his hold, he let go like syrup. Sara stumbled away, looking for a way out. She needed, she needed – it was so elusive.

“I think it is customary to leave a shoe behind, when you leave a party early,” the King of the Kett mocked.

Unthinking Sara bent down, pulling a boot off her foot. She thrust it into the surprised King of the Kett’s hands. Then she turned and hobbled away slowly.

“Pathfinder.”

The word rang insider her head. She clutched at it stumbling away from the King of the Kett. The people around her made space as if she had a contagious disease that would transmit through touch.

“You have been drugged,” the voice continued.

“SAM?”

“Yes, pathfinder. I am counteracting the effects as well as I can. It will take more time.”

Sara found a wall and leant against it. She scanned the room. It seemed to shrink. The King of the Kett was nowhere to be seen. The music was pounding in her ears. She wanted to leave. But the ground was acting up again. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the solid wall against her shoulder. When the shaking subsided, she looked for the door and began to put one foot before the other.

The journey took longer than expected. Her thoughts were still tangling, tingling and knotting up. And the room turned instead of her. Sara could still feel the arms of the King of the Kett pressing against her gently, his whispers flowing over her skin. It was disorienting.

“To your right, pathfinder,” SAM kept her on track.

Sara wasn’t quite sure why she went to the door. To leave? She was in no state to go anywhere, she didn’t even remember how she had gotten to the party. Kadara wasn’t that big, she should remember. With a sigh she leant against the wall close to the door. Reyes would know how to get her out of this.

Looking around, she could not see him anywhere. He hadn’t abandoned her, had he? After all, he was an agent of the King of the Kett. What if he had only pretended to be on her side? Everything he’d done so far fell under full deniability. Sara rubbed her temples, invigorating the cacophony inside her head.

“Mr Vidal has last been seen in a storage room to the right off where we entered,” SAM informed her.

Right. Smuggler and thief unable to resist the occasion. An occasion he had created. Sara sighed. Hopefully he was done with whatever because she did need help getting back to the Tempest. Lexi would have her arse for getting this doped up. Shuffling on to the doors, she raised her omni tool. With SAM’s help, she got the door to open, limping towards the storage room.

Walking sure had been easier on the arm of the kett king guy. She found him going through some crates. “Found anything useful?” Her voice was clumsy in her mouth. The words broke into pieces between her teeth. She reached for one of the crates to steady herself.

“Ryder, it’s not what it looks like.” Reyes stepped back from the crates more scared than he had reason to be. Something dangled from his hand.

Sara swayed a little. Why did he have to call her Ryder? Why doesn’t he like me? Sometimes- sometimes it seemed as if he did. But then he did things like this. “So you didn’t use me as a distraction?”

Reyes calmed down a little. “Okay, yes,” he admitted, looking relieved. “But it is for both out benefit.” He looked somewhat dishevelled and -

“Is that my boot?” Sara blinked. The room winked out of existence and changed colour each time. The floor writhed in gentle patterns. At least Reyes looked somewhat solid. She giggled at that though. He was many things, but that, no, not solid.

“Ah, oh, yes. So it is. Your boot indeed,” he stuttered flustered. “The King of the Kett just gave it to me for safe keeping he seemed very attached to it. Yes.”

“He did? He is?” Sara giggled. That King of the Kett was sure an idiot. Unfortunately, he had it out for her and commanded an army. “Can I have it back?”

To her surprise Reyes cradled the boot protectively. “Are you crazy? He’ll have my head if it vanishes. But wait, I have an idea.” he scrambled up the crates opening the topmost. After some rummaging he threw her a pair of boots only a little too big for her.

While Sara put them on, he kept searching the crate. Then he proudly showed her his loot, a bottle, before jumping back down. Sara wriggled her toes in the boot, there was a lot of space. It was funny.

Putting down the bottle with a sudden, Reyes looked past her, worry creeping back onto his face. “Shit someone’s coming. We need a distraction.”

Sara took one look at Reyes and one step in his direction. She was not quite sure how to distract anybody but as soon as she touched his hand everything made sense. A giggle bubbled up her throat but was stopped short escaping her mouth as she pressed it on Reyes’. She slung her arms around him, the giggle coursing through her body instead.

Reyes didn’t hesitate a moment. His lips parted and he pushed her back against the wall. The bubbling in her veins was chased out by lines of fire. His lips were soft, his hair was soft, the skin of his hands was soft. Sara pressed against him. His hold was strong but the gentleness of his kiss was underlaid with determination. It tasted almost desperate.

He drew back slowly. Sara opened her eyes and found him peering towards the door. Very unromantic. But what had she expected. Finding a reason to kiss him was probably not his idea of fun. Still his breath caressed her face for one more moment before he took a whole step away. “I think we’re in the clear.”

Nothing was clear. Sara held on to his wrists. There was a pounding in her head that had nothing to do with the beats of the music. The wall at her back held her upright more than anything. In the chaos of colours dancing around her, Reyes face was the only thing that stayed calm and brown. Sara blinked.

On the one hand, she needed to stop kissing him under whatever pretence. On the other hand, he needed to stop kissing back as if his life depended on it. Kiss her like that and then focus on something else so very intently. His lips reminded her of something, but Reyes began to talk and chased the thought away.

“Here it is,” he declared. “The only bottle of Mount Milgrom in Andromeda. Triple distilled and 645 years old.”

“Pathfinder,” SAM spoke up in her head. “You are still under the influence of the drug you were given. I am making progress, but it will take at least another hour before your metabolism is working right again, I suggest you don’t mess it up again immediately.”

“Noted,” Sara murmured.

“That is it?” Reyes looked incredulous.

So she had said that out loud. How far from normalcy was she when even that stopped working? “I am way to wasted to drink,” Sara offered.

Reyes laughed. “Got it. We’ll get you something soft on the way. Let’s get out of here.” He took her hand and started running.

Sara followed. It was not as difficult as expected with the iridescent floor moving under her feet. Reyes left a clear path in his wake. His hand held hers like a beacon. She laughed as they left the party behind.

Running through Kadara Port helped. Her metabolism sped up, allowing SAM faster access and made his work easier. Sara could feel her head clear. Or it was the insistent stench of Kadara’s water. Nothing could hold against that reality for long. The ground calmed down, the maelstrom of colours abated.

They wound their way through suffocating paths between prefab units, over steep rocks and unlit tunnels. Finally Reyes led her out on the roofs overlooking most of the port. It was breathtaking.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” Reyes asked as if he had read her mind. “I sometimes forget.”

Sara didn’t know what to reply. He head was approaching normalcy again, throwing questions at her. She couldn’t figure out Reyes. On the one hand, he was definitely playing wingman for the King of the Kett professing no interest at all. And then he did something like this.

Admittedly, sitting on rooftops drinking appropriated lemonade was not on any list of hot dates Sara had ever seen. A pity, really because the view and company sure made it a treat. And he’d gotten her a soft drink and stashed away the mount Milgrom. Sara hoped to get her share of that another day. But what was he up to? He acted as if it was a date. If not for the stench, the air would have passed for balmy. The sunset turned the sky overhead into a riot of paster colours. She took another sip of the sticky sweet drink.

Why hadn’t he just returned her to the Tempest? That she would have understood. But this? Sara was tempted to lean against him. Reyes was so close. When had that happened? Maybe asking was the fastest way to clear things up. Sara wriggled her tongue tentatively. It should be working just fine. “Why did you come here, Reyes?”

He didn’t reply for some time, weighing the bottle in his hand. “To be someone,” he finally said without looking at her.

It wasn’t quite the answer she had been aiming for, but then her question had not been quite the way she had wanted it either. Sara looked at him, but Reyes kept staring off into the distance. She moved carefully until she sat next to him. “You’re someone to me.”

His head turned abruptly. For a while, his eyes flicked over her face, searching for something. Maybe words were not the right way to go about this. Despite his code name, Reyes seemed to have considerable problems with them. Sara didn’t dare think that it was only in her case. His fingers traced her jaw. “Is kissing people your default strategy?” 

Sara was sure that what she intended to say was ‘Only if it works, and it does work on you’. Instead, all that she got out was, “Only on you.”

He looked torn. His eyes were roving her face, slipping over her cheeks, snagging on her gaze. But his fingers closed around her chin. Sara pushed forwards gently. It was enough. Reyes leant into the sudden kiss.

His lips were warm on hers and almost ready to shy away. Sara opened her mouth a little, letting in the taste of sweet soda flavoured by another person. Her hands clung to him, wary of sudden movements. She was aware of her urge to climb him like a tree. Still they were sitting on a roof high above the city. She didn’t want to die. Not now.

The kiss deepened. Her lips yielded to the breathless exchange, drinking in the taste of his tongue, the feeling of his teeth grazing her skin. Any attempt to pull him closer doomed to failure but the pressure building between them was not enough to tear them apart again either.

He moaned we they finally broke apart. His hand was buried in her hair and the green in his eyes moved like water over bottles. They took a deep breath inhaling the air between them heavily flavoured with their desire.

“You are drugged, Sara,” Reyes said softly.

“Not much any more,” Sara protested.

“Too much,” he insisted and put a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

Sara took shameless advantage of that, ensnaring his lips with hers once more.

Reyes hesitated. Then he gave in with a sigh. Sara felt him soften against her. Whatever had held him melted between them as his hand reached for her face again. Sara reached out for him, cursing their precarious situation in her head.

“Sara, please.” Reyes pulled back. His eyes were darker, falling with the evening around them.

She couldn’t withstand the pleading look on his face. But neither could she withstand his lips, gleaming gently in the last rays of the sun- Sara bowed her head, leaning against him.

Reyes put his arm around her, holding her tightly, almost as if she would fall without his support. She didn’t mind. It wasn’t much. But it wasn’t something she had planned for so anything she got was good. Maybe he forgot that she’d have to return to the tempest some time.


	7. Between the Stars

The King of the Kett stared, once again, at the silent figure of Scott Ryder. The party had gone surprisingly well. The single boot standing on top of the cryo pod was proof of that. It had gone even better for one Reyes Vidal, though. He didn’t understand it. For reasons unknown, Sara seemed to prefer the lowly smuggler with nothing to offer to the King of the Kett who was ready to lay the universe at her feet.

He rubbed his temples. Why? He had offered everything, her brother, Meridian, a life in safety and luxury. They had danced. He smiled at the memory. Sara had admittedly been drugged out of most of her wits, but that had been necessary. Her aggressive tendencies needed to be curbed.

And it had worked! She had not attacked him on sight. The dance would have been more impressive if she had worn the dress he had sent her. But the feeling of her body gently moving in sync with his had been delicious. He could still feel where each of her fingers had rested on his shoulder. Magical, that was what the dance was, truly magical.

And then she had left. He had offered to lay the universe at her feet and she had to think about it? But that was her reaction. No resounding acceptance, no grateful glances, no glowing commitment. Her eyes had been so confused. Why would she be confused? She was amazing, it was only right to give her everything.

The King of the Kett had been certain she would be back. Given a little room to think, there was no way, Sara could not come to the obvious conclusion. Instead she had gone looking for Reyes. Reyes Vidal, officially a third-rate smuggler and lowlife. A double agent, not even trustworthy! But she had sought him out nevertheless.

He had to scramble to get back into his normal clothes, didn’t even have time to put her boot away. He was lucky that she was still drugged and didn’t notice anything amiss. And then, then she had kissed him again. Admittedly under another pretence. But damn, she could kiss. And she did and didn’t stop. That was not how the drug was supposed to work.

He should have taken her back to the Tempest then. But his own hormones had decided against it. Even if she was too high for anything, he just couldn’t let her go. Because she was so high, so vulnerable and open like a broken shell. Taking her to his favourite spot above Kadara Port had been spur of the moment.

He should not have done it. His lips burned. She didn’t need an excuse. She hadn’t even tried not to kiss him. And dammit if he hadn’t enjoyed the last millisecond of it. Reyes was grateful that Sara had been drugged. There would have been no stopping them otherwise. And that was not to happen. He took a deep breath.

Well, he had somewhat invited her to his flagship. The King of the Kett was sure that she’d come, if only to retrieve her brother. He would have an offer waiting she could not refuse. If the powerful King of the Kett did not sway her, maybe a more personal and vulnerable version would do. After all, she had stopped attacking him. Things were looking up.

Just one more try, he told himself. One more attempt to make everything right.

 

* * *

 

“Of course it could be a trap!” Sara threw her arms up as she paced. Spending the last days doing nothing she considered either important or pleasurable had made her snappish. That her thoughts kept returning to Reyes didn’t help. There was something about him and the King of the Kett that kept bothering her. She wished she could put her finger on what exactly it was. “He says he’s our inside man, my inside man, but we only have his word for it. I know. I _know_! This is why we’re here now. Talking.”

Or complaining more like. But Jaal had a point. The information came from Reyes and they had no way to back it up. Not short of sending a ship to look and that would alert the King of the Kett. They didn’t want that to happen.

“Do we know anything about this ship except its location?” Drack asked. “Get some stats, kid.”

“And how did Reyes tracking him?” Jaal asked again.

“With a tracker he put in my boot,” Sara explained again. It didn’t get better by repeating it.

“How did the King of the Kett get your boot?” Peebee wanted to know.

“I gave it to him.”

Silence descended while everybody pondered what had to happen for the human Pathfinder to willing hand over one of her boots unquestioningly. None of the options were pretty.

“We can take it down,” Peebee finally said changing the topic. “We can take anything down.”

That was the recent victory over a Remnant Architect speaking. Those things were huge and since there was nothing else to kill and the architects were about the size of her rage, Sara had gone after one or two of them. She was sure there were more luring around. But they had a lead. Her brother could be on that ship.

“I can ask Reyes for more information, but-” Sara raised her index finger, “no complaining that it came from him and we have no way to back it up.”

Silence fell as everybody thought about that.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Peebee finally asked. “They’re screwed.”

That was one vote of confidence at least. Sara smiled at the asari. At least Peebee was up to fight anything any time.

“What if your brother is not aboard?” Drack asked.

“It’s the King of the Kett’ flagship,” Sara replied. “ _He_ should be on board. So if we can’t find Scott, we just grab the King-thing and ask it pointed questions until he tells us where my brother is. It’s a piece of cake.”

And what a pretty big piece of cake it turned out to be, fully armoured and with more cannons attached than any kett ship they had encountered so far. But it was exactly where Reyes had said it would be and it was equipped pretty much as predicted as well. That put some questions about Reyes to rest but didn’t do much good otherwise.

“We have only one try,” Suvi told them. “The stealth system won’t do any good after we attached.”

“One shot is all we need.” Grim satisfaction rang in Sara’s voice. They had followed the King of the Kett to his own home and now they would steal her brother back right under his nose. And if he complained, she fully intended to kick him in the balls on their way out.

A tiny voice reminded her that she had promised Ryes not to antagonise the King of the Kett. But that had been under duress, she told herself. She would probably have done anything to get back to her friends. And she had played nice, hadn’t she? No incident at the party, not one drop of blood.

“Just do a close fly-by,” Sara replied, pushing the unwelcome thought aside. “We’ll make sure it works.”

“Yeah,” Drack added. “Nobody air-drops like a krogan.”

That was quite true. Drack almost launched the rest of them back into space, when he hit the floor of the landing pad. The Tempest shot away again, leaving them in eerie silence. They entered the ship without problem. The airlock hissed shut behind them. No alarms were audible.

“SAM?” Sara asked silently.

“I can detect no alarms, Pathfinder,” the AI replied. “We seem to have gone unnoticed. As yet.”

“Wow.” Sara could hardly believe their luck. “Which way?”

Before Sam could reply, there was a loud clatter. Sara turned on her heel only to find the asari attacking a Fiend/Nullifier hybrid. The colossus didn’t move thankfully. Not that it would stay powered down for much longer.

“You are done for!” Peebee was about sitting on top of the monster.

“Peebee!” Sara rushed to her side, trying to pry the asari off her victim. “We must go quietly.”

The asari didn’t seem to hear her. She kept pummelling the modified fiend with weapons and biotics.

“Peebee,” Sara tried to shout without raising her voice. “You’ll raise the alarms.”

“Well, let them all go off!” Peebee replied. At least she stopped hitting the remkett. “I shall fight through all of them!”

It wasn’t that Sara didn’t believe her companion. It was just that she’d much rather not fight. They had managed to get on board unnoticed. This was a great advantage. Sara beckoned the asari towards her. To her great relief, she followed. “Please, Peebee, for my sake, be quiet.”

Peebee looked at her, then back to the remkett fiend. “Okay, for you, anything. But – we do fight them?”

“If they attack us,” Sara assured her.

“Then I shall fight anyone anywhere any place,” Peebee was getting worked up again.

“I know, Thank you. But now hush.” Sara interrupted her. “We will go as far as we can with the alarms down.”

“Okay,” Peebee acquiesced.

It was a relief. Sara told SAM to find the fastest route to the King of the Kett’s rooms. She suspected that Scott would be there even if SAM couldn’t locate him. If the King of the Kett had lured her here for another stupid pretext, she would have his stupid head on a stupid spike.

As they went deeper into the ship, they came upon some remkett. It seemed to be some kind of scientists, maybe those who had fused the Remnant ad kett together at first. It was deeply creepy to see and Sara only wished to get out of those laboratories again. Killing everybody within them was just a bonus.

Everything was going well. A little too well. But Sara couldn’t put her finger on what was bothering her. And they had almost reached their destination. Just a little bit longer.

“Caution, Sara,” SAM said inside her head.

Sara looked around and saw nothing. The next step brought to light exactly what SAM had meant though. Her body was gripped by an invisible force, lifted form the ground and held immobile. Cuffs of fire appeared around her wrists, linking them together. Her shotgun dropped. Looking behind her, Sara saw, that her companions fared none the better.

“Some kind of immobilising field,” she observed.

The door on the opposite wall opened, revealing the King of the Kett in one of his usual, outrageous outfits. “What have we here?” He asked. “It’s useless to struggle.”

Sara tried to break lose, but only managed to tilt herself into an awkward angle. “Nothing?” She suggested.

“Nothing?” He echoed. “Nothing, tra-la-la?”

The King of the Kett made Sara throw her arms up with a flick of his fingers as he approached. When he came to a stop before here, Sara wanted nothing more than to smash her fists down onto his head. But no matter how much she struggled, her arms stayed firmly in place. The ensuing wriggling felt wrong, too.

He looked into her eyes for a while, since she was held conveniently at eye level with him now.

“Your majesty,” Sara mocked unable to help herself. “Is that what sad looks like? I’d give you a hug, but...”

The King of the Kett took her chin, turning it this way and that. It felt strangely familiar. Had he done that before?

“Try that with me!” Drack challenged.

Sara didn’t think it helped. Drack was caught as much as she was. Though if the King of the Kett did do that to the krogan, the probability of impeding death rose exorbitantly. A nice thought. It was suddenly chases away by another one, when the King of the Kett spoke again.

“How are you enjoying my challenges?” His lips quirked up. “You are doing quite well for yourself.”

“Oh, it’s a piece of cake,” Sara spat back. She was fuming. Patronising as ever, how dared he? _SAM_ , she sub-vocalised, following up the thought the moving lips of the King of the Kett had sparked. Familiar. Very familiar. Too familiar. _Compare the vital signs of the King of the Kett with those of Reyes Vidal._

“How about upping the stakes?” The King of the Kett smirked. “If you arrive at my quarters within the next hour, you will get your brother back. If not, you will have to make do with me.”

“I’d rather die,” Sara ground out.

_They are one and the same,_ SAM chimed in, reporting his results.

Sara clenched her fists as she pried her lips open for a scathing revelation. But she was too late. The King of the Kett had already turned his back and was striding away. Bastard. Once she got her hands on him. Well. It would have to wait until she had her hands back under control.

“SAM, what can you tell me about the containment field?” She asked loudly so the others could chime in.

“The containment field only interacts with living matter,” SAM replied. “If you expire, the field around you will be extinguished until manually reset.”

Sara mulled that over. It was a neat little box, but it didn’t account for SAM. It was not a fun idea though. “Are there any other options?”

“None that I can determine,” SAM said.

Well. Sara looked at her bound hands and friends. None of them had any chance to get out of their bonds alive. Neither had she, but she had a chance of coming back from the dead. She glanced around the room. No sign of Reyes anywhere. If he had ever had good reason to come to her rescue, now would be it. But no. He would take his time, make sure she couldn’t reach her destination in time.

“Alright.” Sara put as much conviction into her voice as she could. “Let’s do it.”

“You better come back,” Drack threatened.

“Sara,” Jaal and Peebee said, but neither could think of anything to add.

Sara would have loved to add some bravado. I did this before, alluding to her death experience on Habitat Seven. Something to lighten the mood. But she couldn’t. All she could think was I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.

But she would.

“Stopping the heart,” SAM said into her frantic litany, “now.”

The words stopped. The world stopped. And everything went black.


	8. It Hurts Like Hell

Reyes couldn’t believe his eyes. But the video feed was direct, untampered and bluntly true. Sara was willing to go any length to avoid the King of the Kett. She said she’d rather die and so she did.  The containment field reacted only to living matter. It was a way out nobody really could abuse. But Sara had SAM and together they could do the impossible. 

He couldn’t look away from her. She was scared to death; she might as well have been screaming at the top of her lungs. But Sara kept it inside, showing a calm collection she was far from feeling. Reyes could read that her wide open eyes. She did not want to die. But there was no other way.

“Let’s do it.” Her words dropped like hammers.

That woman! His breath caught in his chest when he saw her slump to the ground. But the shackles vanished, leaving her free.

For the longest time she didn’t move. Reyes heard her SAM count the attempts at resuscitation, feeling the sting of each deep inside. What had he been thinking? That she would wait until help came? That she wouldn’t do anything to get to her brother? He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath over the dream that he might, one day, receive such commitment.

If he didn’t screw up completely. Which he just might have. He had killed her. Did she know? That look in her eyes just before he left. It had been harder, than steel, judging him to the bone even before she had made her fatal decision.

How had she such trust in her AI? How could he get such trust? It seemed impossible. It was all he wanted. Reyes gulped down fresh air when she finally breathed again unaware he had held his breath. But she lived. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. All he wanted to do was rush to her side and help her. But if he turned up now, how could he look her in the eyes?

He had not been there to save her, save her life when she needed it. What good would appearing now do? And what if she knew? How could he ever look her in the eye again? How could she? It was too painful to think of. Reyes wished he hadn’t sent Scott away already. He had been certain that this time his plan worked out.

But here he was, down two Ryders and no step further to his goal. He had indeed screwed up.

 

* * *

 

The world wavered into focus. Sara didn’t remember it hurting so much. It was not just the physical, muscles, all her intestines and even her brain chiming in that this had been a horrible idea. Her mind was hurting. She knew Reyes was also the King of the Kett but it didn’t make any sense. What was he trying to accomplish?

For a moment she just lay there, staring at the floor a few inches before her. Reyes had set all of this up, had set her up. Something she might be able to forgive, but Scott… Sara closed her eyes. She was supposed to recover her brother, that much she understood. It was also supposed to feel like a challenge she had mastered. Something she also understood but only wanted to have Reyes guts for garters for.

She took a deep breath.

The world swam into focus without mercy. They were still on the flagship of the King of the Kett. That meant she was not terminally dead. One up-side. Possibly. Sara struggled to her knees. Yep, definitely alive. Many parts of her were aching, throbbing, still gasping for air, if muscles and organs could do that.

She looked up. Drack, Jaal and Peebee still hung in the energy field, secured by their shackled. All eyes were glued onto her.

“Well, are you gonna take another nap or what?” Drack asked after a moment.

Sara got to her feet and looked around. SAM pointed her to the controls and she turned the holding field off. Her companions landed on the ground in varying degrees of grace. But they were all ready to kill some remkett. After fussing.

“Are you alright?” Peebee asked. “You were dead!”

“Is that normal human behaviour?” Jaal wanted to know. “It seems rather reckless.”

“I am okay,” Sara assured them. “Let’s show that buffoon how we handle things. SAM, where are his quarters?”

“I have mapped you the shortest way, Pathfinder. But I must warn you. It seems that the forces of the cruiser are concentrating on that route.”

Sara felt a deadly grin come up. “Well then, let’s not disappoint them.” She cocked her weapon. “Let’s see if they’d really kill me.”

She doubted it. For whatever twisted reasons, Reyes did want her alive and dating. Why he had ever conjured up the King of the Kett persona was beyond her. As were any reasons to do what he had done under that alias. But she would have answers – answers and the head of the King of the Kett on a spike.

Since it was uncertain how much Reyes wanted to stay on her good side and actually keep her companions alive, Sara barrelled through the door as soon as it opened. The short corridor was empty but Sam read several life forms behind the next door. A Charge put her in their midst and Nova scattered them. It was satisfying.

Shots rang around her and the first wave of attackers soon lay at their feet, moving only in the last twitches of death. Sara looked at her friends who were no worse for the wear. Drack looked positively elated. Well, there were more where those had come from.

They fought their way forwards slowly, but the opposition was vague. Sara knew she wasn’t wanted dead so she kept taking point, throwing herself at the remkett. But it was tedious.

_How long until we reach his quarters?_ She asked SAM silently.

_At the current rate, you will arrive way before the countdown ends._ SAM reported. _Even with the opposition setting up. Data suggests that their fighting will delay you only shortly._

Good. Sara wanted few things more than to wipe each and every remkett off the ship. “If they want to die, we will oblige.” She opened the door into the next corridor. They followed it for a while, bursting into another room filled with enemies. When they left a short while later, the enemies remained behind, some of them in one piece.

“Now that’s fun,” Drack commented, cleaning bits of remkett from his shotgun and armour.

“We will kill them all,” Peebee agreed. “Any time, anywhere!”

“Pathfinder, the enemy is retreating,” SAM told them just as Sara Wanted to charge through the next door.

“What?” She stopped short, hands almost touching the metal.

“Surveillance shows that the movement of the remkett has reversed,” the AI explained. “It seems that the King of the Kett has realised he cannot keep you from beating his countdown and is saving his troops.”

“And Scott?”

“There is no trace of him.”

“Bastard.” Sara opened the door and rushed off. That would be so like the King of the Kett. Teasing her with her brother and then not being able to deliver. What was he thinking? And what was Reyes thinking? It was difficult to align those two, overlay them into a consistent path.

One thought did not go away again. What if Reyes had planned to save her just in time to almost make the countdown? There would have been no need to even bring Scott on board. Her steps became faster. How dared he?

Moving through the ship was eerie. Hey didn’t see anybody, empty corridors and silence greeted them. The lights flickered now and then, but no alarm was blaring. For all purposes, it might have been abandoned already. Maybe it was. Maybe the remaining remkett were just waiting for them to leave before going back to whatever their business was.

The last door opened and let them into a spacious suite. Sara could see how a candle lit dinner or clandestine meeting here would have played out. In her case with the dead body of the King of the Kett sprawled over the crescent stairs. But that was beside the point. There was no sign of Scott. There were many places big enough to hold the cryo pod but all were empty.

A king-size bed stood against one wall. A small box was placed on it looking lost. An offering to the angry goddess. She snatched it up and tore it open.

“Is it a diamond ring?” Drack asked chuckling about his joke.

“It’s the coordinates to actual Meridian,” Sara replied after reading the message. “We’re invited to a showdown there. A fight over the dominance in Heleus.”

“Bullshit,” Jaal sad. “This is not how war works.”

“No, it’s not,” Sara agreed. “But fairy tales do work like this. And I think the kett will not all adhere to the outcome of Meridian.”

“It is the centre of the Vault Network,” Peebee said excited. “From there we can activate the terraforming for the whole cluster. We win.”

Sara didn’t quite understand how terraforming would win them the war against the kett, but it would be an important step to settling Heleus. Maybe the foundation they needed to have a chance at survival. She stared at the data chip in the box. What the fuck was that idiot Reyes thinking.

“We will have a look,” she decided out loud. “But let’s not go unprepared. The Nexus and the angara should have some time to scout the location. And I will see what Mr Vidal has to add.”

“Where is he?” Peebee looked around. “He usually arrives to save the day.”

“There was nothing to save today,” Sara replied.

“Well, you were,” Peebee said. “We all were, actually.”

“Yeah, but he was late for that, wasn’t he?” Sara tried to keep her sarcasm in check.

“I’m sure he had a reasons,” Peebee insisted. “You can’t expect him to blow his cover.”

Sara made an ambiguous snort. Yes, he sure had his reasons. Maybe he hadn’t been able to change fast enough. Or he hadn’t expected her to find a way out of his trap on her own. Images of the party at Kadara port tried to get her attention. Sara shut them away resolutely. There was no time for that now.

“SAM, signal the Tempest that we are ready for extraction. I don’t think they need to worry about being fired at.”

As it turned out, they really didn’t. The Tempest found the nearest access and they returned without incident. It was still eerie, but Sara was too angry to care.

“Set course for Kadara,” she called as soon as the bridge could hear her. “Take a scenic route and tell me when we arrive. I don’t want to be disturbed until then.”

The door closed behind her and Sara leant against it. She needed a plan, something to get through the next conversation with Reyes. Something to focus on so she wouldn’t fly off the handle as soon as she saw him. Sinking to the ground, she rubbed her eyes. This was too much of a mess for one person to handle. Why was her brother not here?

That thought only brought up another cycle of raging thoughts. In the middle of that hurricane sat the images of her and Reyes on the roof over Kadara Port.

 

* * *

 

They reached Kadara much sooner than Sara would have liked. But she had to face this. Had she not gotten through the conversations with Addison and Evfra? She had. And both had acquiesced to her. So how bad could this be? She slung her scarf around her neck, a feeble protection. But then it wasn’t her neck that Sara worried about.

“Are you sure you want to go alone?” Peebee asked when she reached the ramp.

“It’s just Reyes,” Sara replied.

“He likes you,” the asari grinned.

Sara sighed. “That he does.” She didn’t even start to expound on how that complicated everything immensely right now. Nobody except her and SAM knew. And SAM was questioning her sanity.

“And he knows we’re her to kick his arse to next Sunday if he tries anything.” Peebee looked a little too happy about that option.

“Indeed,” Sara agreed. “Sometimes that is all it takes.”

“But why do you have to go in person?”

“We are about to make our final move on the King of the Kett,” Sara replied. “Now its where Reyes has to show his true colours. And that is easier to judge in person.”

It was a good reason. Sometimes she even believed it herself. Peebee accepted it without question, too. Sara left the Tempest behind, slowly walking towards Tartarus. It felt as if she was in hell already. Sara tired not to think about what expected her once she arrived. At least she was adamant to return from there and also take less than nine days to do so.

Sara felt the beat of the music through the soles of her feet as she climbed up the steps to the upper entrance. She could have used the other entrance, but taking her condition into consideration, any path that led past a bar was a bad path. She took a deep breath before she opened the door.

Flickering darkness lay beyond, the smell of people and alcohol. Sara stepped over the threshold and forced her feet to keep moving. It was not far to the back room. In front of that door, Sara tried to collect her thoughts once more. Most of them had scattered not wanting to be here any more than she did. The script she had memorised fluttered in white rags, proclaiming defeat where there could be none.

It was only an hour, maybe not even that long. She would live. She had seen worse. Sara tried to think of Habitat-7. Now that had been worse. Losing Scott had been worse. Her eyes hardened and she reached out. The door slid away with an unspectacular hiss. Sara took a step, infusing it with determination. It didn’t matter if she believed it, what mattered was that Reyes did.

“You’re alright!” Sara hadn’t made two steps into the room before she found herself, smothered in Reyes embrace. He buried his face against her, holding her tightly. “When I saw what happened on the flagship,” he broke off. Then he took a slow breath. “You’re alive.”

“No thanks to you,” Sara replied. It hurt to pry him off. She prayed her eyes didn’t betray her when she looked at him.

“I am sorry.” Reyes didn’t look at her. “I was-”

“Being late on purpose, I know,” Sara interrupted him. “I know, Reyes.”

He raised his head slowly, searching her face. “You know why I was late?”

“I know everything.” Sara sighed and went past him. She dropped heavily onto the bench, making sure there was a fair distance between his usual place and her. “I just don’t understand it.”

He didn’t sit down again. Coming as close as he dared, Reyes just looked at her. The inner turmoil showed in the flicker of his features now and then that revealed too much to be going on for it to show. He shrugged with his hands. “Where do you want me to start?”

At least he didn’t deny it. Sara closed her eyes and laid her head back over the backrest. She didn’t know what she would have done otherwise. There was nothing she wanted more than to believe he was innocent. Even if Sam was never wrong. One and the same – only they were not, One was a stupid arsehole and the other was actually quite nice and cared. It didn’t make sense.

“Why?” She finally asked, leaving the sorting to Reyes.

“I wanted you to be happy, so I did as you asked,” he said. “You asked for your brother to be taken and I did. You wanted him back, I gave you a way to retrieve him. Whatever you wanted, I granted.”

“You were overbearing, high-handed, and you didn’t know me.” Sara opened her eyes again. “Your heavy-handed attempts have wrought mayhem and cost lives.”

“I wanted to give you everything you desired,” he repeated.

“I know,” Sara replied. “But you can’t.”

“I understand that now.” He sighed.

Now. That might just be too late. Sara tried to look behind the beat façade. But Reyes was not looking back. His gaze lost itself somewhere over her head. “So what is next?” She wanted to know.

Reyes turned his eyes to her, taking in every last detail. “Now?” His glance pondered her. “Now you must vanquish the King of the Kett and retrieve your brother, no?” He held out a hand and Sara took it without thinking. “You need to win this,”Reyes continued. “But you win everything you want so, this should not be a problem.”

“But Scott-”

“Yours,” he cut her off. “In a great showdown where you will win everything.”

“Just like that?” Sara asked doubting despite his eyes.

“You always win,” Reyes replied with a sad chuckle. He took her hands. “You already have won. We just have to make it credible.”

Sara stared at him, but Reyes was dead serious. She shook her head, trying to retrieve her accusations and demands. It was useless. She was. “What were you thinking?”

“That you deserved everything and that somebody should give it to you.”

“And that somebody was you?”

“Yeah.” Reyes pulled her into an embrace with a sudden. “I will not apologise for that.”

There was a great many things Sara wanted to say but somehow nothing made it past her lips. She definitely wanted her brother back. And she wanted to hurt whoever dared take him. And she wanted to hug whoever helped her retrieve him. It was a little unfortunate that both aimed at the same person. Maybe suffocation through hugging could be a thing.

“You have no power over me,” she protested softly. It went unheard by Reyes and unheeded by herself. It was difficult to see the King of the Kett in Reyes. It didn’t help that she didn’t want to see.

“What will you do when I kill the King of the Kett?” Sara finally asked.

“I don’t know,” Reyes replied.

Sara sighed, feeling his chest rise and fall against her face. “He has my brother and will give him up over his dead body. I think my chances against him are good. He doesn’t know how to beat me. You remember Sloane’s party. He tried. But he doesn’t know how to handle me. He will die.”

“And that will be enough?” His lips moved in her hair.

“I guess.” Sara leant back a little to look him in the eye. It was enough for now. One day, one day when she wasn’t scared for her brother, herself, him and everybody in Heleus, that one day they would have to have a serious conversation about this. “For now.”

“For now,” Reyes agreed.

Sara couldn’t help drinking in the hints of a smile tugging at his lips. He had her brother and he was an idiot. Admittedly one who realised that he was an idiot and promised to improve. She hoped that didn’t mean he’d be a better idiot. Though, the King of the Kett was hard to surpass.

“So,” Sara insisted, “what will you do when I kill the King of the Kett?”

“I don’t know.” He admitted, pulling her close again.

“You better come up with something,” Sara murmured, closing her eyes. “You better come up with something good.”

“I will.”


	9. Walking away

“So what is he doing here?” Peebee glared.

“He is not here here,” Sara said glaring right back, “and what he’s doing is making a decision.”

Reyes tried to smile nonchalant. He wasn’t sure how well that translated through vidcom, but he would give it his best shot. “I can leave you alone with the data,” he offered.

“No!”

Reyes liked how vehemently Sara said it.

“In that case,” he dragged his eyes back to the holo in the centre of the table, “this is what I found. I would tell you to take it with a grain of salt but I can see you will do that anyway.”

He ignored the agreeing murmurs. They hurt. Of those assembled, Sara liked him best and she wanted his head on a platter. Reyes didn’t dwell on that. It was another battle he had to win another day.

“Meridian is actually a hollow sphere with a complete eco system inside. Somewhere in there lie the controls for the whole vault network. I don’t know where. I am looking and as soon as I find something, I will let you know.” He held up a data disk. “In case we have to cut communications, I will leave those at marked drop locations.”

“How much will that help us?” Drack wanted to know.

“I have no idea,” Reyes admitted. “But I will try to download as much of the fusion technology for you as I can. Maybe it will help you setting Heleus. And,” he took a deep breath, “since I don’t expect the King of the Kett to come out of this in a position of power, I will sabotage his creations. All of them. To uselessness if possible.”

He looked at Sara but she was staring off into the distance. Reyes didn’t blame her. It were her people who would die on Meridian. Her responsibility. And she kept silent because – he didn’t dare finish the thought. He didn’t dare be wrong.

“And why would you do that?” Drack asked.

“Yeah,” Peebee agreed. “You could just set us up with a trap.”

Reyes glanced in Sara’s direction but she was still staring off into the distance. Of all the people in the room, she was the only one who probably trusted him. Or at least trusted him to not screw this up.

“I understand that so far all my actions have been ambiguous. I didn’t want to blow my cover. But,” he sighed, tearing his gaze away from Sara, “Sara, the Pathfinder – Sara, I learnt something important from her. I came to Heleus to be someone but I never stopped to think what kind of person I wanted to be. Until I met her.

“The King of the Kett is on to something big, no doubt. But he is what made the Milky Way so hard to endure. This,” he slowly looked at each team member in turn, “this is something good. I felt it when I worked with you and it is the person who I want to be. It’s good to be important, but it is more important to be good.”

“Took you long enough to realise,” Jaal said.

“Still faster than most krogan I know,” Drack said. “We grow thousands of years old and still most of us die without noticing.”

“You don’t have to trust me,” Reyes spoke up again before Peebee could add the asari perspective. “Take as many precautions as you want. What matters is that you succeed. And I will help with that, irrespective of what it may or may not gain me with you.”

“I believe you.” Sara had returned from her thoughts. She looked at her companions. “That was why I went in person.”

“Well then.” Peebee shrugged.

“Still not letting our guard down,” Drack added.

Reyes looked at Sara’s team. They were loyal and protective. She would be safe with them no matter what happened. It was a good feeling. He smiled. “I will go over the data with you shortly and then leave you to your planning. You know how to contact me if you need anything else.”

Nods and murmurs ensued. Sara was safe. The next step was to make her happy, which would be a lot more difficult.

 

* * *

 

Meridian was exactly where Reyes had said and exactly what he had said. Reversing gravity was a shaky business, but Suvi and Kallo handled the Tempest perfectly. With them came half the human fleet and what the angara had been able to scrounge up at such short notice. It was impressive. Sara had never seen a fleet that big.

“I have found an entrance to a huge underground network,” Suvi announced. “But it’s at the end of a ravine. You’ll have to use the Nomad.”

“Got it.” Sara was already running to the hangar bay. This was it. This was really it. She would see Scott. And she would never ever ever complain about him being in a coma again. The mere thought of seeing his face made her smile.

Jaal, Drack and Peebee were already waiting for her at the Nomad. They were excited, pumped to fight and win a decisive victory. Sara checked her weapons a last time before taking the wheel.

“We hit the ground running,” she announced. “Anybody having objections to that better grab a bag to vomit into.”

“Unlikely,” Drack grumbled.

Peebee strapped in tightly, checking her seatbelt several times.

Sara knew her driving was experimental at times. But still. She would to blame it all on the free fall ahead of them. The ramp lowered and they could see ground rushing by below. A wild mixture of green, grey, and brown. It did not look very soft at all. Then Suvi released the clamps and the Nomad accelerated downwards.

The Nomad took the impact with more grace than expected. Still Sara felt her bones rattle as they accelerated towards the entrance indicated on her display. The flora was amazing and she wished she had more time to look, but the uneven ground made driving difficult. Not long after they their route became obvious, remkett began to converge on their path.

They were moving a little sluggish but that was it. A barrage of missiles and shots began to rain at them. Sara clenched her teeth, trying to evade but it was not working well. Then the ground rose around them, turning what had started as a low dent into a steep ravine. Even using the lower parts of the rock for her manoeuvres, they got hit a lot.

“Ideas?” She ground out, forcing the Nomad into another tight turn.

“The rocks,” Jaal pointed.

“I see them.” Sara felt that even her singsong didn’t get her annoyance across.

If Jaal noticed, he didn’t show. Instead he took the comm and began to speak into it rapidly in angaran.

Some of the angaran ships veered towards them, weaving a complicated pattern overhead. Sara prayed they didn’t collide. There was not much space overhead. It didn’t look any safer when the moved along the canyon overhead. Sara wanted to close her eyes several times when it looked as if a ship would crash into the steep walls.

In the end, she decided to concentrate on driving instead. And on getting hit less. The shields of the Nomad were decidedly happy, glaring t her in shades of orange already. Sara wasn’t sure if the ground actually started to trembled. She was driving more haphazard than ever and the uneven surface shook the Nomad any which direction. The vibration became stronger and Jaal spoke into the comm even faster.

To her utter horror, Sara saw the sides of the canyon begin to slide. Small avalanches took up speed, threatening to block their path.

“Jaal?”

The angara ignored her in favour of chatting to his countrymen. The zigzagging took up even more speed and Sara though she saw little black dots drop from the ships. They vanish in the scenery and for the longest moment, nothing happened. Clenching her teeth Sara readied herself for some impossible and likely useless evading manoeuvres.

They had almost reached the rocky downpour when the stones suddenly acted up. The bigger ones jerked out of their path in sluggish movements, some of them even taking out remkett in the process.

“Keep driving!” Drack yelled at her. At the same time Jaal was reaching for the wheel, keeping them on track.

Sara closed her mouth and concentrated on driving. She really hoped everybody else was paying close attention because she had no idea what was going on out there. “Jaal?” She asked again.

“Scans showed that the rocks here have a high percentage of iron in them. Enough to be manipulated by electricity.”

“You mean you just-” Sara couldn’t finish but Jaal nodded.

“The rocks are friends,” he replied deadpan. “Unlike the kett.”

“Well,” Sara didn’t know what to say.

“Magnetism and electronics intersect,” Jaal explained. “But you better concentrate on driving. I’ll tell you about the details later.”

Sara nodded. She wasn’t sure she’d even understand the details even if explained in great detail. But none of the bigger rocks ended up on them or their path and the rubble that did was easy enough to get over. Everybody sure had to be glad to be used to her reckless driving style now. She had to smile despite everything.

And the angara were efficient. Apart from a few falling stones, they had now little trouble on their way. It was impressive.

“We have been doing this for a very long time,” Jaal added.

The opening into the tunnels gaped before them. It looked as if it had once been an actual entrance with a carefully flattened space before it. Now the ground was overgrown and roots raised ridges across it. The entrance itself looked smoothed as well. But like on the front court, time and nature had taken its toll.

“Final stop, please disembark,” Sara announced as the Nomad came to a stop. Sara double-checked her weapons. “Let’s hope Reyes intel is solid.”

They encountered only a little resistance when they moved into the caves. The fake attack on another entrance was doing a good job of drawing enemies away. The few Shots fired echoed in the empty tunnels. But they didn’t call more remkett down in them. The silence was eerie.

“I coded your entry as a decoy,” Reyes voice came over Sara’s comm. It felt inexplicably loud. “It will take them some time to realise their error.”

“Well, this is boring,” Peebee said. “Can’t you send a few more our way?”

“No,” Reyes replied. “I will see if I can get into the main programming of the remkett and overload their sensory input. That should leave you with normal kett opponents. I don’t know if the Remnant of this place can or will be activated.”

“Every little bit helps.” Sara shrugged.

“I thought disabling ground-to-air weaponry was a little more important.” There was a certain sharpness in Reyes voice, though he tried his best to hide it. Well, he had brought this on himself.

“Can you do anything about the Remnant out there? The flying things?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” The comm fell silent and Sara looked around.

“Boring,” Peebee repeated.

“Maybe the Remnant will activate if we shoot the place up a little,” Drack suggested.

“Nobody is shooting anything that isn’t shooting at us,” Sara decided. “Let’s find my brother and that King of the Kett.”

“We can split up,” Drack suggested. “I will take Peebee-“

“No shooting anything that doesn’t shoot at you!” Sara repeated sternly. Their faces fell, but they agreed. “We’ll -”

A low rumble interrupted Sara. It was followed by Reyes’ voice on the comm.

“A large number of Remnant is powering up,” he said. “They are pure Remnant and likely not controlled by the King of the Kett.”

“Well, shit.” Sara knew it had been too easy. Who would leave their command centre this unguarded? Nobody, that’s who. “Anything you can do about them?”

“I don’t know,” Reyes admitted. “I am using the modifications the King of the Kett fed into the remkett to control them for my sabotage. I don’t know if it is similar enough to hack real Remnant. But I will try.”

“Do that,” Sara ordered. There was his one chance to do some good that was not staged. “We’re moving in.”

“Finally some fun.” Drack cradled his shotgun.

“Where to first?” Peebee wanted to know. “The central chamber or your brother?”

Before Sara could answer hell broke loose. A wave of Assemblers rolled towards them, the air above them black with Observers. In the back, Sara could see Nullifiers backing up the army.

Drack stormed into the mass in a bloodrage, firing his shotgun when not incinerating a target. Peebee followed unthinking, her own biotics glowing brightly against the metal limbs surrounding her. The most Sara could do was not get separated from Jaal as they moved from cover to cover. They tried to follow Drack and Peebee, but the press of Remnant forced them in another direction.

Soon they found themselves at a side wall, following a slope that rose to a lege running the length of the room. They were too busy keeping the Remnant at bay to use their vantage point to look for their frineds. Only when they spotted a ladder leading even higher up they caught a little respite. Only the Observers could follow.

Sara peered over the rail into the mass below, but she could see neither Drack nor Peebee. She cast a worried glance at Jaal. The angara darted over the edge, using an Observer for footing as he took it out. When he returned, Jaal shook his head.

Then a shockwave gave away Peebee’s position. They laid down suppression fire to enable the asari to get to the nearest door. Pebee got the idea and followed but there was still no sign of Drack. Soon the Remnant were closing in again. The asari turned to face them, recklessness overcoming her once more.

“Had enough had you? Alright then, throw down your weapons and I’ll see that you’re well treated.”

Sara watched in horror as Peebee taunted the Remnant though it was uncertain if they had mastered understanding that concept already. They did hesitate, though. Probably because the stats they got from Peebee and her behaviour did not compute.

Suddenly the door behind her opened. Sara couldn’t see what was behind it, but the Remnant could and they took a collective step back.

“Next time surrender!” Peebee yelled aiming he weapon just before Drack barrelled though the door. He grab the asari around the waist, almost slamming her into the bulkhead next to the wall. He was followed by a ball of acid spit that shot through the place Peebee had been just a moment before. Instead the acid hit an Assembler that stumbled back into the mass behind it.

An augmented Fiend came through the door launching itself straight into the Remnant force. It was followed by two more Fiends and a straggle of remkett Anointed. Drack managed to drag Peebee towards another door close by though she didn’t look happy to leave the fight despite the lethal odds.

“It’s the best I could do at short notice,” Reyes voice came over the comm.

“It’ll slow them,” Sara replied. “If you could lock that door maybe?”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Sara wondered if she should have said ‘thank you’ first. But her mind was on keeping her friends safe. The big doors closed as Drack was manhandling Peebee into another room. On contact the sides of the door short circuited and parts of it fused together. That left only her and Jaal inside with the Remnant.

“This should hold for a while,” Reyes said. “Are you okay?”

“So far all of us are, thank you.” Sara scanned the room for an easy way out.

“Call if you need anything.”

“Will do.” Sara turned to Jaal. “Let’s catch up with Drack and Peebee.”

They followed the ledge along the length of the room unnoticed. Below them Remnant and remkett fought furiously. Now and then parts bounced of the rail shielding them from view. There was another ladder leading up through the ceiling at the end of the ledge. Sara climbed it worrying they might be separated even further from their friends.

The room behind the next door spanned even more levels, though. Sara sighed in relief. When she heard Peebee arguing in the distance, a smile crept onto her face. They made their way down to as quickly as they could.

“But what if they are still in there?” Peebee said, pointing back to where they came from. “They could still be in there and we’re sitting here doing nothing!”

“I saw them leave,” Drack countered. “And unlike you Sara has the sense not to barrage back into a ballroom full of enemies.”

“That she does!” Sara grinned from ear to ear at Peebee’s expression. “I’m so glad you made it out alive.”

“That was easy,” Peebee replied and ignored the ensuing glares.

“SAM, what’s our position now?”

“You have almost reached the central chamber,” they replied. “Reading indicate that the King of the Kett is in there. No sign of your brother, though.”

“We will find him,” Jaal assured her.

Sara nodded. “Thank you. I have an idea how, to already.”

But first they had to cross the vast hall. They encountered little resistance. Remnant trickled through routes avoiding Reyes’ locked door. The remkett were entirely engrossed in the main attack on their entrance. At the far end, the hall split into several passages.

“The middle passage leads to the central chamber;” SAM announced. “The other two lead towards the possible locations of Scott.”

“Then we split up.” It was a convenient set-up. “You find Scott and I deal with the King of the Kett. “

“But-” Peebee began.

“He won’t hurt me,” Sara went on. “if he wanted me dead none of this would have happened. But I don’t know what he’ll do to you. I have to go alone.”

“Why?”

“Because it can only end like this.” Sara shrugged helplessly. There was no other logical reason she could find. But so much depended on this showdown staying between the two of them.

“Well, alright,” Jaal conceded.

“But should you need me-“

“Yes, should you need us,” Peebee joined in.

“I know where to find you.” Sara smiled. “Thank you.”

She straightened herself and turned to the vault before her. The door opened when she interfaced, allowing her inside. It hissed shut behind her loudly.

The room was moderate in comparison, she could easily see the back wall. It was lit dimly and it took her eyes a moment to get used to it. If she had expected controls, Sara was disappointed. The room was bare and empty except for one beam of light highlighting the King of the Kett, or at least, most of him. The outrageous suit with its high collar was a familiar sight by now.

Sara approached him slowly, still looking around for a way to activate the vault network.

“Of course,” the King of the Kett said softly in Reyes voice. “I am not enough.”

Sara blinked. “You never were anything but an intruder on my life. I did not want you in it and I have not changed my mind.”

“I see,” he sighed. “So, one last dance.”

“Give my my brother,” Sara kept walking towards him.

“Sara,” Reyes raised a hand, “Beware. I have been generous up until now, but I can be cruel.”

“Generous?” Sara snorted. So they’d be doing this again. One last time. She could do that. “What have you done that's generous?”

“Everything! Everything that you wanted I have done,” the King of the Kett made an encompassing gesture as he began to circle her. “You asked that your brother be taken. I took him. You wanted him back, I provided a way. I have obtained the kett. I have found meridian to turn Heleus upside-down. And I have done it all for you. Isn't that generous?”

Sara smiled sadly. “Through the dangers you made and battles unnecessary, I have found my way here to Meridian beyond the Scourge for my will is as strong as yours and my-”

“Stop, wait. Look, Sara.” The King of the Kett stopped circling her, holding up a hand. “Look what I’m offering. Everything you could wish for.”

“And my forces as great-” Sara tried to continue but the King of the Kett interrupted her again.

“I ask for so little. Just love me and you can have everything that you want. You know I can, you have seen what I am capable off with the kett, infiltrating the Nexus, finding Meridian.”

Sara looked him straight in the eyes. How could she have missed that. The same dark eyes, green-speckled brown pleading a hopeless case. She liked them better sparkling with mischievous care. “You have no power over me.”

The King of the Kett nodded, his shoulders slumped. With a tired gesture he took of his mask and pointed towards the wall. A console rose noiselessly from the ground. “Meridian.”

Sara approached the console. It was easy enough to decipher with SAM in her head. She put her hand over the control field and watched the rods move up and down in a pattern she hadn’t seen yet. Everything lit up in blinding white before slowly retuning to the original lighting.

“Meridian is now online,” SAM announced.

Sara looked around. Nothing had changed. Except for the King of the Kett. Reyes head hovered forlornly over the extravagant outfit. “Now what?”

“Give me my brother back.”

“Your friends have already claimed him.” There was no fight left in his voice.

“SAM?”

“Confirmed, Pathfinder. Your brother’s stasis pod is currently returning to the Tempest with Drack guarding it.”

“Good.” Sara looked at the man before her, the King of the Kett and Reyes Vidal. He had managed to keep them separated, so she could as well. It might be difficult and entailed a ton of work later, but- She suppressed a smile. Yeah. But.

“I guess you got everything you wanted,” Reyes sighed.

“I have my brother back and I have Meridian,” Sara agreed. She looked at the beat figure standing alone in the middle of the room. The outrageous costume hung limp. “And I don’t ever want to see you again.”

He nodded. “What,” he hesitated, “what will you do now?”

Sara tilted her head. “There is still a lot to do, even with Meridian active. A Pathfinders job is never done. Also,” she smiled, “chasing you had positive side effect. I met a guy, he’s just a third-rate smuggler, but I like him.”

His head snapped up, a light rising in his eyes like sunlight filtering through leaves.

Sara winked at him and left.


	10. Epilogue: It’s Only Forever

The Tempest was very quite. Sara had returned some time ago, finding everybody back already. She had visited Scott. He was still in a coma but he was in the hands of Dr T’Perro. That made her feel better. If anything was to change, the asari would handle it brilliantly. Of that Sara was sure.

Then she had made her rounds, and tried to postpone take-off for as long as possible. There was no way Reyes would have misunderstood her. She had been clear. Hadn’t she? And he was a bit of an idiot. Well, a big bit. A great big bumbling idiot. But her idiot. Hopefully.

“Give it another hour, then we leave for the Nexus.” Sara sighed. “Scott needs better medical attention.”

“Copy,” Kallo replied.

Everybody knew what the delay was about but nobody had mentioned it to her face. Sara was grateful. Reyes was not the only idiot in this. She returned to her quarters. An hour was a long time. The steady stream of good news over comms didn’t help shorten it. She paced. She stared out the window. She paced again.

“Leaving for the Nexus now,” Kallo announced.

Sara turned to the window, standing with her hand son the rails of the holo display. Meridian lay below, beautiful and innocent. She concentrated on relaxing. Her knuckles were white, her mouth a thin line. Sara took a deep breath.

The door behind her hissed open but Sara didn’t turn around. Whoever it was, she was in no mood to talk. Maybe they’d go away, if she ignored them.

“You look like you are waiting for someone.”

“Reyes!” Sara whipped around, making the first steps before realising what she was doing. She stopped short. “No more delusions of grandeur?”

“No more,” he agreed coming towards her. “Though I am offended that you think I could have achieved all this as a third rate smuggler.”

“It was not a very successful campaign.”

“Professionally I achieved everything I set out to do.” He closed the space between them.

“An unprofessionally?” Sara grinned at him.

Reyes smiled and whirled her around until her back came up against the bulkhead. Then he leant in to kiss her.

Sara was grateful for the metal at her back keeping her straight and Reyes arms around her to hold her us as the kiss deepened. She ran her hands up his arms, pulling his head just a fraction. “What took you so long?” She breathed.

Instead of answering, he smiled, pulling her even closer. He kissed her again, assertive in the confidence that she was exactly where she wanted to be.

And she was. Hell and high water, she was.


End file.
